The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun
by Warriorcat890
Summary: Moons after the Great Battle, the Clans have lived in peace, but a new threat is dawning. Sunpaw, daughter of Lionblaze must learn all she can about being not just a Warrior, but a part of a legacy greater than any of them alone that started with one ginger kittypet sitting on a fence... Takes place after TLH. Contains OCs.
1. Prologue & Allegiances

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Prologue_

A long time ago when I still inhabited the Forums on the Warriors Message Boards, I wrote this. I wrote the whole first book and I wasn't sure if I should post it, because I kind of want to continue the second one. I thought you might like to read it and tell me what you think.

This all takes place after "The Last Hope". I know that the ages of kits don't make sense, and I know that things aren't right as far as Warriors lore goes and who mated with who and all that nonsense, but it's MY STORY AND I CAN DO WHAT I WANT MOTHER!

*clears throat* Moving swiftly on...

Please leave a review and let me know what you think.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Prologue**

"Will you stand by my side?" a ginger tom inquired. His blazing, scorching green gaze was fixed on a dark tabby tomcat standing a few tail-lengths before him. The two, normally solitary cats sat in close quarters to each other in a small clearing. The night was silent except for the sounds of water lapping at the shores of the island. Even though it was considered trespassing for the ginger tom to be here, it was considered neutral ground to some extent. Besides, there were no vigilant patrols here to keep out intruders. By the time the full moon arrived, he would be long gone.

The tabby's amber eyes were widened slightly and were lit with genuine fear, and shock. He nodded his head vigorously. "Of course my lord! You have my word. I will always stand beside you!" The tabby puffed out his chest proudly, like a LionClan warrior trying to show off his strength.

The ginger tom rolled his eyes, obviously not amused. "Then act like the 'warrior' you claim to be, Tornclaw," he muttered, not trying to hide his annoyance.

Tornclaw dipped his head in clear submission. "Forgive me, my lord."

The ginger cat flicked his tail in acknowledgement to the tabby's comments. "Oh, Tornclaw… I have great plans for this wretched forest… If only the other cats would understand my reasoning."

The tabby nodded enthusiastically. "Your plans would better the forest, my lord. I do not see why the others don't understand your ideas. They are so clear and would obviously help the Clans. Without Clan rivalries, we will be united as one—we would be virtually invincible."

"Indeed," the ginger tom agreed. He felt pleased with the ShadowClan warrior he had been training for moons. "The Clans would greatly benefit from my plans… My only question is, Tornclaw: why do they reject something that will save them? At this rate, the Clans are headed for utter destruction… Soon, there will be no ThunderClan, no ShadowClan, no RiverClan, and no WindClan—only FireClan. The Clan named after me—I will be immortal in the memories of my Clan-mates. I will be greater than StarClan!"

Despite all the time Tornclaw had spent with the ginger tom, he was still somewhat disturbed by the way he spoke. Power was obviously a great aspect in the tom's life. Nothing mattered more to him it seemed like. Tornclaw felt severely humbled when in his presence. He knew that he might not be with a cat chosen by StarClan, but he stood beside a great cat nonetheless.

"But… the other Clan leaders will resist won't they, my lord?" Tornclaw inquired carefully. He didn't want to show his reluctance to turn against his own Clan-mates in the final battle for Clan freedom.

The ginger cat blinked his eyes, and flicked one ear almost irritably. "Of course they will. Most of those forest-fools are stuck in the past. They believe in StarClan and all that nursery-tale nonsense. None of them pose a true threat, though. Onestar is weak and a pathetic, utter failure. WindClan will go first. Mistystar might be more difficult—I heard her mother was a great warrior, let us hope that she does not take after her. Blackstar could be easily influenced—I have a feeling he might even decide to join our campaign."

"And what of ThunderClan, my lord? Bramblestar might pose a problem for us," Tornclaw pointed out.

The ginger tom nodded in agreement. "Quite true, Tornclaw… Bramblestar is our most difficult prey. He will be killed. If we succeed in destroying him, the Clans will crumble."

With that, the two cats said their departures and Tornclaw turned away to return to the ShadowClan camp for the night. The ginger cat watched him go, blinking his green eyes slowly. Once Tornclaw was out of earshot, a small, slender black she-cat emerged from under an elderberry bush and stood beside the ginger tom. "Should I follow him, Fire?" she asked eagerly, flexing her claws with anticipation. She had a hungry look in her eyes—a look that indicated her hunger for bloodshed.

Fire nodded his well-groomed head. "Yes. Oh, and Eclipse?" he called as the black she-cat bounded off. She paused and looked over her shoulder at him, her blue eyes urging him to continue. "Make sure he never sets paw in his camp alive, would you?"

The she-cat nodded and bounded off after her quarry. Fire chuckled to himself. This would be too easy.

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**Allegiances**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Bramblestar – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice; Sunpaw (golden-furred she-cat with amber eyes)

**Deputy:** Squirrelflight – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice; Lilypaw (dark tabby she-cat with white patches)

**Medicine Cat:** Jayfeather – gray tabby tom with blind, blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tomcat

Sorreltail – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Cloudtail – longhaired white tom with blue eyes

Apprentice; Seedpaw (very pale ginger she-cat)

Thornclaw – golden brown tabby tom

Apprentice; Stonepaw (dark gray tom with blue eyes)

Leafpool – light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Spiderleg – long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall – light brown tabby tom

Whitewing – white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose – cream-colored tom

Hazeltail – small gray-and-white she-cat

Apprentice; Hollypaw (jet-black she-cat with green eyes)

Mousewhisker – gray-and-white tom

Lionblaze – golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Cinderheart – gray tabby she-cat

Foxleap – reddish tabby tom

Icecloud – white she-cat

Toadstep – black-and-white tom

Rosepetal – dark cream she-cat

Blossomfall – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Bumblestripe – very pale gray tom with black stripes

Apprentice; Finchpaw (light gray tom with lighter patches)

Dovewing – pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Ivypool – silver-and-white she-cat with dark blue eyes

Apprentice; Lightpaw (light gray she-cat with darker gray patches and pale yellow eyes)

Cherrystripe – ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Moleclaw – brown-and-cream tom

**Queens:**

Brightheart – white she-cat with ginger patches; mother of Cloudtail's kits: Snowkit (white tom), Amberkit (ginger she-cat), and Dewkit (gray tom)

Poppyfrost – tortoiseshell she-cat; mother of Berrynose's kits: Graykit (gray tom), and Tigerkit (dark brown tom)

**Elders:**

Dustpelt – dark brown tabby tom

Millie – striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Graystripe – longhaired gray tom with pale yellow eyes

**ShadowClan**

**Leader: **Blackstar- very old large white tom with jet-black paws

**Deputy:** Rowanclaw – ginger tom

**Medicine Cat:** Lilystem – pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice; Fogpaw (white tomcat)

**Warriors:**

Toadfoot – dark brown tom

Applefur – mottled brown she-cat

Crowfrost – black-and-white tom

Snowbird – pure white she-cat

Apprentice; Talonpaw (ginger tom with white underbelly)

Tawnypelt – tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw – light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot – gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur – dark gray tom

Tigerheart – dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice; Yewpaw (golden tom)

Pinenose – black she-cat

Ferretclaw – cream-and-gray tom

Starlingwing – ginger tom

Tansyfoot – tortoiseshell tom

Snakefang – black tom with green eyes

**Queens:**

Kinkfur – tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles; mother of Redwillow's kits: Fernkit (light brown tabby she-cat), Gingerkit (ginger she-cat)

Ivytail – black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat; mother of Owlclaw's kits: Runekit (ginger tom) Falconkit (gray tom)

Dawnpelt – cream-furred she-cat; mother of Ferretclaw's kits

**Elders:**

Oakfur – small, brown tom

Smokefoot – black tom

**WindClan**

**Leader:** Onestar – brown tabby tom

**Deputy: **Crowfeather – dark gray tom

**Medicine Cat:** Kestrelflight – mottled gray tom

**Warriors:**

Whitetail – small, white she-cat

Nightcloud – black she-cat

Gorsetail – very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur – ginger tom with white paws

Harespring – brown-and-white tom

Leaftail – dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot – gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail – light brown tabby she-cat

Sunstrike – tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead

Whiskernose – light brown tom

Furzepelt – gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderfur – large pale gray tom

Moonfur – white she-cat

Lakestorm – black tomcat

**Queens:**

Swallowtail – dark gray she-cat; mother of Emberfoot's kits: Rabbitkit (brown tom) and Badgerkit (large gray tom with white underbelly)

Sedgewhisker – light brown tabby she-cat; mother of Boulderclaw's kits

**Elders:**

Webfoot – dark gray tabby tom

Tornear – tabby tom

**RiverClan**

**Leader:** Mistystar- gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Reedwhisker – black tom

**Medicine Cat:** Willowshine – gray tabby she-cat

**Warriors:**

Graymist – pale gray tabby she-cat

Mintfur – light gray tabby tom

Icewing – white she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail – dark gray she-cat

Pebblefoot – mottled gray tom

Mallownose – light brown tabby tom

Robinwing – tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Petalfur – gray-and-white she-cat

Grasspelt – light brown tom

Hollowflight – dark brown tabby tom

Troutstream – pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossyfoot – brown-and-white she-cat

Rushtail – light brown tabby tom

**Queens:**

Duskfur – brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt – tortoiseshell she-cat

Duckfeather – tortoiseshell-brown-and-white she-cat

**Elders:**

Dapplenose – mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail – ginger-and-white tom

Cats Outside the Clans

Smoky – muscular gray-and-white tom that lives in a barn at the horseplace

Floss – small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace

Fire – bright ginger tomcat with green eyes

Eclipse – black-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

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A/N: Did you like this part? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more stories like this one, click on my username to see more!


	2. Chapter 1

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 1_

Well, after two (I believe) encouraging reviews, I decided to post the entire story here! I hope you like it. :)

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter One**

Sunkit gazed out the nursery, her lips curled back in disgust. Rain drummed softly against the ceiling of the nursery. The melodic rhythm could have lulled her to sleep on a normal day, if it weren't for the circumstances.

Nearby, her mother, Cinderheart, was rasping her tongue quickly of a small black she-kit. Sunkit watched as her sister objected to Cinderheart's bath. "Mother! Stop it! I don't need groomed! I can do it myself!"

"Hush, Hollykit," Cinderheart silenced. "Let me clean you up! Don't you want to look presentable when you stand before the Clan for the first time as apprentices?"

_Sure,_ Sunkit thought with irritation. _If only it wasn't raining on our ceremony day!_ The young golden she-kit didn't fully understand her mother's worry. Once Sunkit and her three littermates were seated before Highledge and all the Clan was assembled, they would be soaked anyway.

A few tail-lengths away, Sunkit's brothers, Stonekit and Finchkit, sat whispering to one another. "I hope I get our father as my mentor!" Finchkit meowed quietly, puffing out his chest with pride.

"Well, I want father more!" Stonekit replied. The gray tom's voice was on the edge of a growl. "I'm better anyway!"

"You are not!" protested Finchkit. The gray tom's fur bristled with annoyance and he flexed his tiny claws hotly.

"Enough of this!" Cinderheart scolded, pulling away from Hollykit. This gave the small black she-kit just enough time to scramble away from her mother and seat herself next to Sunkit. "You are all equal, and you will all be fine warriors. I have no doubt that you will get the best mentors. As for Lionblaze, Bramblestar might not even choose Lionblaze to mentor any of you. He wants the apprentice training to be as fair as possible with no favorites. That's why queens don't get to mentor their own kits, you know."

When Cinderheart looked down to see that Hollykit was no longer at her paws, her ears flattened against her head in annoyance. She spotted her daughter sitting next to Sunkit and sighed. The gray queen shook her head and then grabbed the oblivious Stonekit by the scruff and brought him closer to groom him as well. Despite his protests, she rasped her tongue over his short gray fur.

Hollykit giggled and leaned close to her sister. Sunkit could feel her sister's warm breath billow against her ear. "Ha! Now Stonekit feels my pain!"

Sunkit chuckled along with her sister and edged closer until their pelts brushed. "I can't wait to be an apprentice," she confessed quietly. "It's so boring in here, plus really cramped."

The black she-kit nodded in agreement. The nursery was overflowing with kits ever since both Poppyfrost and Brightheart moved in with their litters. Cinderheart's litter alone was very large and adding two more growing young cats made it very crowded.

"The apprentices' den should be roomy," Hollykit mused. "After all, it'll only be Seedpaw, Lilypaw, and Lightpaw."

The thought of sharing a den with three other she-cats was very inviting. For one thing, her two brothers would be outnumbered, and for another, she liked the current apprentices. Seedpaw and Lilypaw were almost a moon away from being named warriors and Lightpaw was not far behind them. The story of Lightpaw always made Sunkit look upon her with sympathy.

Lightpaw was the daughter of Dovewing and an unknown tomcat, most likely a ShadowClan warrior named Tigerheart. Lightpaw had had two brothers at birth, but they had died shortly after from greencough. Her mother was devastated, but devoted the rest of her time in the nursery to preserve the life of her one remaining kit. Even though Lightpaw never became infected with the sickness and became an apprentice, some cats ridiculed her. Many called her a half-Clan cat even though Dovewing would claw their ears off if she heard them. Sunkit always found the story sad, especially since Lightpaw was one of the sweetest, kindest cats she had ever met.

Cinderheart pulled away from grooming Stonekit opened her jaws to say something. In the next instance, however, a loud yowl rang throughout the ThunderClan camp, echoing off the stone walls of the hollow. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bamblestar's voice rung out through the camp.

The gray queen gasped. "Oh no! Bramblestar has called for the Clan! Oh, Finchkit! You're not clean yet!" she gasped. She was treating that fact as if Finchkit presented himself to the Clan with a pelt that wasn't groomed, it would signal the beginning of an apocalypse.

"I'm fine, mother!" Finchkit cried as he bounded to the entrance of the den. Sunkit and Hollykit stepped up beside their brother and gazed out into the ThunderClan camp. Already warriors were beginning to assemble before Highledge. Among them, Sunkit saw Dovewing and Ivypool sitting close to the nursery, Hazeltail and Thornclaw sitting little ways away, their tails entwined. Next to them sat Sorreltail, Brackenfur, and Birchfall. Whitewing and her father Cloudtail sat in front of them, speaking in hushed voices.

As more and more warriors poured into the clearing, Sunkit gulped. Her confidence was failing her. Earlier, she had felt like she could conquer the world, but now as she was faced with the aspect of facing her Clan, she was gripped with fear. Her brothers, however, were bouncing up and down with anticipation, showing no fear.

"Go on little ones," Cinderheart encouraged. "Stonekit, Finchkit, do not run out there! Walk proudly like warriors! Make your father and me proud!"

Stonekit and Finchkit didn't need their mother to tell them twice. The two young toms sauntered out into the camp, their heads held high with pride and their chest puffed out. Even though they tried to look calm and collected, Sunkit could see the energy rising in their eyes. The two toms didn't allow the rain to dampen their moment to shine. They were selling it. Hollykit followed them. The moment her sister stepped out into the rain, her fluffy black pelt began to be slicked to her body. Sunkit could just hear her sister complaining later that day about how wet she was.

Finally, Sunkit could no longer prolong it. She took a deep breath and searched for her father in the crowd. Cinderheart had already slipped past her out of the den to find the golden warrior. Finally, she spotted both of them, sitting right up front. Cinderheart rested her head on her mate's shoulder, and Lionblaze was gazing in her direction. His amber eyes were welcoming and gentle. He gave her a slight nod to continue. Sunkit took a deep breath and stepped out of the den into the rain.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! Click on my username if you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more like it!


	3. Chapter 2

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 2_

Well Chapter 2 is finally here. I will try to post as many chapters as I can tonight; I've edited up to 19 and there are 21 chapters in total. I'll finish editing them tonight, or tomorrow and get them to you quickly. It all depends on how lazy I am. XD

I don't own Warriors. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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**Chapter Two**

Sunkit could feel the eyes of her Clan-mates boring into her as she took her seat beside Hollykit. She looked up at Bramblestar who stood on Highledge, gazing down at them with a kind look in his amber eyes.

"Cats of ThunderClan, we are gathered here today for one of the most important ceremonies we have as warriors. Today, we will be helping these four young cats cross over to another stepping stone in their lives. Today, they will become apprentices!" he yowled.

Blood roared in Sunkit's ears as she listened to her Clan leader's words. A part of her felt like it was too good to be true. It was telling her that she was just asleep in the nursery and when the morning came, she would wake up next to Cinderheart's belly. However, Sunkit knew that it wasn't a dream. She could feel the rain pouring own around d her, and she could feel the dampness soaking through her fur and chilling her skin. As she gazed upward at Bramblestar, she could feel the rain stinging her eyes.

"Finchkit," Bramblestar meowed, his loud, unwavering voice ringing clearly out through the rain. "Finchkit, from this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Finchpaw! Bumblestripe, you have yet to have your first apprentice. This will be a test for you, but I have no doubt that you will pass. You were mentored by Mousewhisker, and I know that you will pass on all the skills he taught you, to your apprentice."

The pale gray warrior dipped his mighty head in thanks. "Thank you. I am honored Bramblestar, and I will do my best," he promised. Bumblestripe then padded up and touched noses with Finchpaw.

Sunkit felt a ripple of pride run through her chest. Bumblestripe was a great warrior and would mentor her brother well. She knew that he had nothing to worry about. The two gray cats padded into the throng of cats and took a seat where Sunkit could still see them through the corner of her eye.

"Stonekit," Bramblestar called, "from this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Stonepaw! Thornclaw," he then hailed the golden-furred tom. "Thornclaw, you are an experienced warrior, and you have mentored many. I have no doubt that you will do a job well-done once more. You will be mentor to Stonepaw."

Hazeltail licked her mate's shoulder blade affectionately while Thornclaw averted his gaze to the ground sheepishly. "Thank you, Bramblestar. I am honored to accept another apprentice. I will do my best as always, if StarClan wills it." With that, the golden tom padded forward and touched noses with the jittery Stonepaw. The two cats then disappeared into the ground. Sunkit sucked in an uneasy breath. It was nearly her turn.

"Hollykit, from this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Hollypaw. Hazeltail," Bramblestar went on, looking at the gray-and-white she-cat intently. "You are a fine warrior, and I am sure you will have no problem mentoring Hollypaw."

Hazeltail dipped her head reservedly. "Of course, Bramblestar. I will train her in the ways of the warrior code," she vowed, and padded forward. She nuzzled Hollypaw gently and guided her into the crowd.

Finally, it was Sunkit's turn. Blood roared in her ears as she stared up at Bramblestar with a mixture of anticipation and fear. She couldn't imagine what her face looked like at that moment from his perch on Highledge. She knew that the entire Clan's eyes were on her. Her pelt felt hot with embarrassment, and she wished she could disappear.

"Sunkit, from this moment forward, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as Sunpaw. Sunpaw, _I_ will be your mentor. I promise to teach you all the skills that my own mentor, Firestar, passed along to me."

Sunpaw sat there, her body rigid with shock. She heard murmurs of speculation as to why Bramblestar decided to have an apprentice ripple through the crowd behind her. The large brown tabby leader descended Highledge gracefully as if he were floating. He then approached Sunpaw, and his mere size overwhelmed her. She thought Lionblaze was huge, but her father was nothing compared to Bramblestar.

The leader touched her nose to his gently. "Do not be afraid, little one," he whispered. His voice was surprisingly gentle and soothing. "It is done." Bramblestar then pulled away and pulled his head back in a yowl. "Finchpaw! Stonepaw! Hollypaw! Sunpaw! Finchpaw! Stonepaw! Hollypaw! Sunpaw!" he yowled, and soon the Clan joined in with him.

After they had chanted, the warriors began to go their separate ways while a few stuck around to congratulate the new apprentices. Sunpaw turned around in time to see Cinderheart and Lionblaze rush up to them. "Oh, Sunpaw!" Cinderheart exclaimed and nuzzled her daughter softly. "I am so proud of you!"

"Indeed," Lionblaze agreed, staring down at his daughter with kind amber eyes. "Having the Clan leader as your mentor is a huge honor."

Bramblestar purred. "It is my pleasure. I have been so bored lately. I figured that having an apprentice to occupy me might keep my mind of things I would rather push into the recesses of my mind…"

As the adults spoke, Sunpaw crept away to where her littermates were assembled. Hollypaw rushed up to her as she arrived. "Congratulations, Sunpaw! Great StarClan, I can't believe Bramblestar is your mentor!"

"Yeah, it's amazing!" Finchpaw agreed, bounding over.

Stonepaw stood a few tail-lengths away, sulking slightly. "Congratulations, Sunpaw," he muttered unenthusiastically before turning away and padding to the apprentices' den.

Sunpaw gazed after her brother sadly. "Did he sleep on a thistle or something?" she wondered aloud. She didn't understand why her brother would be upset with her. It wasn't as if Sunpaw decided to have Bramblestar as her mentor. "I didn't choose it," she whispered.

Hollypaw flicked her tail toward the apprentices' den dismissively. "Don't worry about him. He's just jealous."

_Jealous? Why would Stonepaw be jealous? I mean, I know that Bramblestar is my mentor and everything… but why can't he just be happy for me? It's not like I get any special treatment. Besides, he has Thornclaw. Thornclaw is a great ThunderClan warrior and will train him well,_ Sunpaw thought to herself. "Why would he be jealous?" she voiced her thoughts. "It's not like I get any special treatment or anything."

"Well for one thing you get Cinderheart's and Lionblaze's attention," Hollypaw mewed thoughtfully. Sunpaw thought she detected an edge her in her sister's tone, but didn't hear it again. "Besides, he just as a thorn in his fur because he got Thornclaw. Thornclaw… well you know what happened…" she looked around quickly, and then leaned closer to her littermates. "He fought for the Dark Forest in the Great Battle."

Sunpaw then remembered the stories Cinderheart had told them in the nursery. She had told them about the Great Battle where StarClan fought against the Dark Forest and Tigerstar, Hawkfrost, and Brokenstar were all killed in the battle leaving the Dark Forest with no leaders. She also remembered how her great grandfather, Firestar, had been killed in the battle but a burning tree after killing Tigerstar. Thornclaw had trained in the Dark Forest, but once he realized what they were doing to the Clans, immediately fought for the Clans instead. Still, she knew that Stonepaw would have a hard time accepting his mentor when Thornclaw had trained with the enemy.

"Like I said though," Hollypaw continued, "ignore him. Come on, let's go make our nests in the apprentices' den!"

As she followed Finchpaw and Hollypaw to the apprentices' den, she couldn't push away her feeling of unease. First, the Clan leader chose her as his apprentice, and now, Stonepaw was suddenly acting coldly toward her. It wasn't in his nature to act this way toward another cat, even if he was jealous. Sunpaw had a feeling that the next few moons would not go well.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	4. Chapter 3

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 3_

I don't own Warriors.

Sorry. :/

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**Chapter Three**

A paw prodded Sunpaw in the side, waking her from her dream. The golden she-cat woke with a start and stared around at the unfamiliar surroundings with confusion for a moment. Finally, she remembered. She was no longer Sunkit. She no longer lived in the nursery with Cinderheart to curl her tail around her and keep her warm. She was Sun_paw_ and she was an apprentice; Bramblestar's apprentice.

"Wake up, Sunpaw!" Hollypaw's voice hissed in her ear. "It's nearly sunhigh!"

Sunpaw's head shot up with a start. She suddenly realized that she had duties as an apprentice and couldn't sleep until sunhigh like she used to do as a kit. Groggily, she pulled herself to her paws and followed her sister from the den as if she were in a trance. Her body did as it was told, but her thoughts were blurry and dazed, still thick with sleep.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to join us," Hazeltail's teasing mew came from nearby.

The golden-furred apprentice looked up to see the black-and-white warrior grinning at them with unhidden amusement. "Enjoy your night did you? I bet you two didn't sleep a wink all night!" she exclaimed with a _mrrow_ of laughter.

Sunpaw forced a smile at the warrior's words. That much was true. She had lain in her nest thinking about the day's events and about Bramblestar. She still could not wrap her head around the fact that he was her mentor.

"I don't blame you," a deep voice meowed. Bramblestar padded closer and stood beside Hazeltail. "I didn't expect either of you to sleep much. That's why your first lesson today will be relatively easy."

Even though Sunpaw was relieved she would not have too hard of a day ahead of her, Hollypaw was gazing at Bramblestar with an excited gaze. "Are we going to take a tour of the territory? Are we gonna start battle training? Hunting crouches? Lionblaze taught me a hunter's crouch he said…" Hollypaw rambled on, and both warriors listened for a little while patiently, until Bramblestar raised his tail for her to stop.

"That's a wonderful story, Hollypaw. You can tell both Hazeltail and I both more later, if you wish, but we really must get going," he meowed simply. Sunpaw was shocked at the gentleness and patience in his tone. Even she couldn't bear to listen to Hollypaw's rambles sometimes. _How can they both just stand there and not get annoyed with her? Hazeltail is always kind, but I never though that Bramblestar could be so gentle. Maybe is extreme patience is one reason why he's leader,_ Sunpaw thought.

"What will we be doing today, Bramblestar?" Sunpaw inquired innocently. She didn't want to make Bramblestar mad, but she was curious.

Bramblestar exchanged a glance with Hazeltail. She let out a small purr of laughter. "Should we tell them, Bramblestar?" she asked.

He sighed, amused, and shook his head. "They'll find out eventually. Better tell them now… Will you do the honors? Maybe if they want to claw someone, they'll claw you then."

Hazeltail glared at him playfully. "Better you than me! You're the one with nine lives," she muttered, but then looked at the two sisters. "Today, we will be gathering moss for the elders' bedding."

Sunpaw's spirits feel immensely. Hollypaw glanced at her sister, looking just as disappointed as Sunpaw felt. _How boring is collecting moss?_ she thought with indignation.

"Hey, hey, hey," Bramblestar chuckled. "It's not that bad. Besides, it will help you with your warriors skills," he promised, his whiskers twitching in amusement. "Scraping the moss off the tree will help you learn the proper way to strike with your paws, and carrying the moss back to camp will help you learn how to carry more prey back than you can fit in your mouth."

That lifted Sunpaw's attitude. She looked up at Bramblestar and forced a smile. _As boring as it might be… if Bramblestar says it will help us be better warriors, then it will. Bramblestar is right about everything._

Then, Hollypaw voiced Sunpaw's thoughts. "Are Stonepaw and Finchpaw gathering moss too?"

Bramblestar shrugged his broad shoulders. "I don't know. They're doing whatever Thornclaw and Bumblestripe planned. Hazeltail agreed to work with me since you two are sisters. We figured that you would be more comfortable together for the first day."

The two sisters glanced at one another, then nodded. Sunpaw felt warmed by their mentors' consideration. It would make her more comfortable to have Hollypaw at her side throughout the day.

"Now that that is all said," Hazeltail meowed calmly after exchanging a brief glance with Bramblestar. "We should probably get going."

Bramblestar dipped his head in agreement, and without another word, headed to the camp entrance. Sunpaw felt the same fear and anticipation she'd felt during her naming ceremony as she approached the bramble barrier that had kept her and her littermates safe inside the camp for six moons. Bramblestar went first and slunk through the brambles with unbelievable ease. Hollypaw scrambled after him, much less gracefully, her long, fluffy black fur snagging occasionally.

When it was Sunpaw's turn, she tried to imitate Bramblestar's movements, and reached the other side unharmed. "Well done," the Clan leader praised when she emerged unscathed. Nearby, Hollypaw let out an annoyed hiss as she licked her hind leg where a clump of fur had been pulled off. "The ThunderClan camp is mostly surrounded my natural barriers, but when we arrived at the lake, the entrance to the camp was open. The warriors had to bring these brambles in from the forest and form them to make a barrier and keep out any invaders we may have. It has had to been rebuilt a few times; the most extreme damage it had ever received was when badgers attacked the camp in a huge group."

Sunpaw remembered that nursery tale about the badgers and the death of a cat named Cinderpelt. Cinderheart had told her the Cinderpelt had died when she was born, saving Cinderheart, her mother, and her siblings from a badger. Stonepaw had once asked her more about Cinderpelt, but Cinderheart just shook her head and claimed she didn't know, but Sunpaw had a feeling that she knew more about Cinderpelt than she was letting on.

A moment later, Hazeltail pulled herself out of the barrier and shook her pelt out. She looked at Hollypaw sympathetically. "Don't worry," she tried to soothe. "Longhaired cats have a harder time getting through the barrier too. Just as Cloudtail and Graystripe!"

Bramblestar let out a small chuckle. "That is true. Hollyleaf was the same way," he meowed, and then looked at his paws. Sunpaw caught a hint of grief flash in his amber eyes, but then it was gone. The Clan leader looked at Hollypaw almost longing and shook his head.

Hazeltail watched him sadly. She padded up to his side and murmured something in his ear that Sunpaw couldn't hear. "I know," Bramblestar replied. "Come on, you two. We'll find moss on some trees or rocks through the forest."

Hollypaw, who had been watching Bramblestar's reaction as well, looked at Sunpaw. Sunpaw padded over to her sister so they could walk together. "Who is Hollyleaf, again?"

"Hollyleaf… she was Lionblaze's sister, wasn't she? I think she died in the Great Battle. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were their parents… Well, not their real parents. Leafpool and Crowfeather were their real parents, but Bramblestar and Squirrelflight took them on as their own… I think that Bramblestar still thinks of them as his kits," Sunpaw mused.

Hollypaw looked down at her paws almost worriedly. "Does he think that I'm Hollyleaf?"

Sunpaw shrugged. "I doubt it. I think you were named after her though." Sunpaw knew that Hollypaw could not be Hollyleaf. Hollyleaf was dead and in StarClan. Cats couldn't live twice. _Or can they?_

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	5. Chapter 4

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 4_

Things get real in this chapter. ;) Things finally begin to take shape and you get a better understanding of what this is all gonna be about.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Four**

After a day of gathering moss for the elders and learning how to do a proper claw swipe, Sunpaw was ready to turn in for the night. She had found the day's lesson interesting even though her sister did not seem to care for it much. _With Bramblestar as my mentor, I'll be the best warrior in ThunderClan!_ she thought excitedly. _Maybe one day, I'll be Clan leader! I can see it now! Sunstar… Leader of ThunderClan…_

"Sunpaw, are you coming?" Hollypaw's voice made her snap out of her fantasy.

Sunpaw blinked her eyes once and realized that she was still sitting outside the apprentices' den. Hollypaw was standing before her, waiting impatiently to go in the den. She nodded and hauled herself to her paws before following her sister.

Nearby, Seedpaw and Lilypaw were talking together quietly. When they saw Hollypaw and Sunpaw come in, they just leaned their heads closer together, whispering. A nest down, Lightpaw lay in her nest, her tail curled up and around her nose. The slight, slow rise and fall of her flanks told Sunpaw that she was asleep. Still, she saw the white she-cat's ear flick every now and then. Sunpaw wondered what she was dreaming about. At the opposite end of the den, Finchpaw and Stonepaw sat grooming themselves. Finchpaw's face brightened when he saw his sisters.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the soft-foot moss gatherers!" he teased, before snorting in laughter.

Stonepaw snickered with him, and Sunpaw felt that his dark laughter was aimed at her directly. She felt self-conscious and upset, but Hollypaw was not going to let them boss them around. "We learned the proper way to do a claw swipe! Sunpaw and I are proud of our work! Bramblestar and Hazeltail we were the best apprentices' they'd had for their first day!"

"_We_ went on a tour of the territory," Stonepaw boasted. "We even saw a WindClan patrol!"

"No way!" Hollypaw gasped, forgetting her irritation at her brothers and their teasing. "Who was in it?"

Stonepaw shrugged, but Finchpaw answered for him. "Bumblestripe said something about a cat named Whitetail, but that was all I heard."

While Hollypaw hammered her brothers with more questions, Sunpaw flopped down in her nest and snuggled into the warm moss. She let out a contented sigh and curled her tail around her body. Her littermates' chatter and the whispers of Lilypaw and Seedpaw finally lulled her into a peaceful sleep…

"Is she asleep?" a familiar, deep voice inquired in a whisper.

Sunpaw blinked her eyes open at the sound of Bramblestar's voice. Moonlight slanted through the entrance of the den and illuminated the dirt floor. She remained very still and kept her breathing slow and regular. She wanted to convince Bramblestar and whoever else was there that she was asleep.

"How should I know?" a harsh voice hissed quietly in response. "It's not like I can see her!" That remark and the voice was a dead giveaway. Jayfeather, the Clan's medicine cat was standing outside the den with Bramblestar.

Bramblestar sighed exasperatedly. "Well I think she is asleep… but… I don't know… Jayfeather, do you think that she is… is the One?"

Sunpaw's heartbeat quickened and she struggled to keep her breathing regular. She prayed to StarClan that they weren't talking about her. She wanted them to not be talking about her.

Jayfeather let out a ragged sigh. "I don't know, Bramblestar… I just don't know… The prophecy spoke of a cat that is kin of Firestar, named of fire, kit of roaring lion and…"

"What was the exact prophecy again?" Bramblestar inquired, his voice becoming impatient.

Jayfeather took a deep breath and then recited:

"_After the fire extinguished,_

_A cat of light and flame will rise from ashes._

_Kin of fire, leaf, and lion,_

_Daughter of the incarnations,_

_The sun will rise to words unspoken._

_Sacrifice shall be her meaning,_

_Only to save the forest from warriors broken and bleeding._"

Both cats were silent. Sunpaw wished they would speak. She wished that there wasn't just the terrifying silence. Sunpaw wanted to let out a wail of confusion and terror. The prophecy seemed to fit her description; "_After the fire is extinguished,_" that meant Firestar's death in the Great Battle.

"_A cat of light and flame will rise from ashes._" Sunpaw had to think for a moment. Did that mean that a cat maybe with 'Light' of 'Flame' for the first part of their name will be destined for greatness like Firestar had been… Could that mean Lightpaw? Or maybe it was another description of 'Sun'.

"_Kin of fire, leaf, and lion._" That obviously meant Sunpaw's kin. Firestar was her great-grandfather… Leafpool was her grandmother… and then Lionblaze was her father. Sunpaw's heartbeat quickened. The prophecy could not be about her.

"_Daughter of the incarnations._" Sunpaw wanted to shake her head at that line. What did that even mean? She was not a daughter of incarnations! That was ridiculous.

"_The sun will rise to words unspoken._" Sunpaw didn't understand that line. It was the most obvious like that indicated that it was about her, but she still did not want to admit it.

"_Sacrifice shall her meaning, only to save the forest from warriors broken and bleeding._" Sunpaw shuddered at that line. "Sacrifice shall be her meaning?" If anything, she did _not_ want to think about that line of the prophecy.

Bramblestar finally spoke. "It points to her."

Jayfeather hummed in agreement. "I just… that one line toward the end… 'Sacrifice shall be her meaning'… I'm scared for her.

Bramblestar sighed. "Me too, Jayfeather. But let us hope that she will never know of this."

"Yes," Jayfeather agreed. "It would be best."

Sunpaw listened to their paw-steps as they padded away from the apprentices' den and out of earshot. She felt like yowling in fear, but somehow kept her jaws shut. The prophecy was not about her. The prophecy was not about her.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	6. Chapter 5

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 5_

In this chapter, we also learn more about what the story is about. :)

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Five**

The next morning, Sunpaw woke with an icy dread lying heavily in her stomach. As the words of the previous night's conversation swam through her mind, Hollypaw watched her. Sunpaw could see the worry in her sister's eyes, but was determined to not show her own fear at what Bramblestar and Jayfeather had said.

Sunpaw pulled herself to her paws and swiftly left the den. Sunlight was just peeking over the horizon in east and its warming rays were shining down into the camp casting long shadows on the stone walls of the hollow. The icy feeling of fear in stomach began to melt away as watched what little activity that was going on the camp.

Outside the nursery, Brightheart's kits Snowkit, Amberkit, and Dewkit were playing on of Sunpaw's favorite pastimes. Snowkit and Amberkit were ThunderClan warriors while Dewkit was stalking toward them in a hunter's crouch, pretending to be an attacking ShadowClan cat. Without warning, Dewkit launched himself at his littermates and tackled his brother Snowkit to the ground.

"Kits!" Brightheart called from nearby. Sunpaw looked to see the one-eyed she-cat lying in the shade next to her mate, Cloudtail. The fluffy white tom licked his mate's ear affectionately before padding off. "Play nicely," she meowed calmly, watching her mate go.

Sunpaw suppressed a purr of amusement as Snowkit began to complain about how rough Dewkit was. She continued across the camp, heading toward the base of Highledge where Squirrelflight, Cloudtail, Thornclaw, and Brackenfur had all gathered, discussing the morning's patrols.

As padded along, she noticed Jayfeather paying close attention to her from the medicine cat's den. The gray tom's sightless blue eyes were pointed toward her intently, but Sunpaw knew that he was listening to, and smelling her. In the next instance, his blue eyes widened slightly as if in surprise. Sunpaw stopped for a moment and gazed at him curiously. The medicine cat suddenly whipped around and pelted back into his den.

A foreboding feeling slowly embodied Sunpaw. It started deep in her gut, but then stretched out across her body like long, icy fingers. As it consumed her, her body felt numb. She had a feeling that Jayfeather had seen something when he looked at her… something that only pointed to her and the prophecy.

"Sunpaw, I'm glad you're here," a she-cat's voice called from the base of Highledge.

The golden-furred apprentice turned to see Squirrelflight watching her looking quite pleased. "I'm glad to see that at least one of the new apprentices is showing initiative. Now, Cloudtail, I want you to take patrol consisting of Hazeltail, Hollypaw, and Dovewing."

Cloudtail dipped his head and padded off to the warriors' den to get Hazeltail and Dovewing. While he padded off, Squirrelflight's eyes rested on Sunpaw. "I'm sure Bramblestar wouldn't mind leading a patrol."

"I wouldn't!" the brown tabby tom called as he descended Highledge. He bounded over to them and skidded to a halt before shaking out his pelt. "I'll take Sunpaw, Lionblaze and Foxleap," he meowed simply.

A moment later, the reddish tabby tom came rushing over. "Where are we going?" Foxleap asked, twitching his tail eagerly.

"On a patrol along the ShadowClan border," Bramblestar answered him, turning away toward the warriors' den.

Foxleap stared after him as the large tabby tom slipped into the warriors' den without another word. "_Humph!_ Sunpaw, I hope you realize that it is rude to walk away in the middle of the conversation. I hope that is one Bramblestar's habits that you don't learn."

The ThunderClan leader then emerged from the warriors' den with Lionblaze padding along behind him. The golden tom's eyes instantly brightened when he saw his daughter. "Hello, Sunpaw. How are you enjoying being an apprentice?" he asked in a purr.

"It's good," she whispered in reply feeling self-conscious.

"Come on you two," Bramblestar meowed affectionately. "There will be more time on the patrol for you two to catch up, but we should get moving." The tabby then raised his head to the sky and Sunpaw followed his gaze. Sunpaw then saw what was worrying him—dark, ominous storm clouds loomed on the horizon. She shivered thinking of her apprentice naming ceremony out in the rain.

Bramblestar led the patrol out of camp and toward the ShadowClan border. Foxleap followed closely behind the ThunderClan leader while Lionblaze and Sunpaw hung back to talk. "So, are you enjoying your training, so far?" Lionblaze inquired conversationally.

"It's been fine," Sunpaw replied, gazing at her father. She thought of the one line of the prophecy: "Daughter of the incarnations". For a brief moment, she wondered if that part was true. Was Lionblaze an ancient warrior reincarnated into the Clans? Is that why he was a hero in the Great Battle? Is that why he saved the Clans? He was chosen because he was reincarnated?

_No, of course not,_ Sunpaw scolded herself silently. Lionblaze was kin of Firestar's kin, and Firestar was a great warrior… Any warrior that had kin of Firestar was destined for greatness. _But… I'm kin of Firestar too… He is my great-grandfather… Does that mean that I am destined for something great too?_

Lionblaze nodded. "That's good. Have you learned any battle moves? If you ever need help, I'll be glad to give you a lesson or two," he meowed, holding his head up proudly. Sunpaw stifled a purr of laughter as her father tried to show off. He puffed his chest out proudly and swaggered ahead of her, looking like a complete fool.

"Stop it!" Sunpaw cried. She suddenly found herself unable to control her fit of laughter any longer. "You're embarrassing me!"

Bramblestar glanced over his shoulder at the golden-furred cats and let out a chuckle before looking back to the path ahead of them. "Lionblaze, you're ridiculous. You better not let any ShadowClan cats see you act like that, or else they will never let you live it down," he teased.

Lionblaze let out a huff of laughter and bounded up to walk beside the brown tabby. Sunpaw, too, quickened her pace so she padded beside the two fully-grown warriors. Bramblestar opened his jaws to say something, but then stopped, his ears pricked and mouth open, scenting the air. "ShadowClan patrol… The scent is fresh."

Sunpaw glanced at her father worriedly, but the golden tabby wore an unreadable expression. If Sunpaw didn't know any better, she would have called it almost grim-looking. A hiss from Foxleap made he tear her gaze away from Lionblaze. "Those snake-hearts! They better not have crossed the border!" he hissed, his red pelt bristling.

Bramblestar shook his head. "I don't think so… I think that they've just recently marked the border and the breeze is carrying their scent over… But still, be careful. Follow me and keep your eyes and ears open."

"Where's Dovewing when you need her?" Lionblaze muttered and padded slowly after Bramblestar.

The ThunderClan leader led the way to the ShadowClan border. Sunpaw was shocked when she saw what ShadowClan territory truly was. She had heard nursery tales about ShadowClan cats with cold hearts and red eyes peering at ThunderClan warriors through the darkness. She expected their territory to be permanently covered with shadows with tall trees packed so closely together that no light was allowed in.

ShadowClan territory, in reality, however, was much different than Sunpaw's vision. There were a few trees sparsely spread, but the majority territory was swampland. Sunpaw could see the mud and gunk that rested on the forest floor with a few ferns and other water-dwelling plants sprouting up here an there along with the new-leaf bloom, but otherwise, she saw no shadows and no cats.

"Just as I thought," Bramblestar finally concluded. "Fresh border marks. Sunpaw, you stand guard while Lionblaze, Foxleap and I mark the borders," he instructed.

Exhilarated with the idea of her first true task as an apprentice, Sunpaw leapt up onto a fairly large stone and gazed off into the swampy land that lay before her. "Do ShadowClan cats really live there?" she asked after a long moment, unable to restrain herself from asking it.

"Yes," Bramblestar answered. "They do… They live in the swamps and hunt snakes, rats, and frogs."

"Ew! That is disgusting! How do they eat that stuff?" Sunpaw gasped. She couldn't imagine eating a slimy frog or a slippery snake. Sunpaw would choose a fat, juicy squirrel over any of the ShadowClan cats' prey any day.

Bramblestar chuckled. "I don't know. But they find our prey—squirrels, mice, birds, and voles disgusting. Each Clan eats different prey. ShadowClan are known for eating frogs, WindClan for rabbits, and RiverClan for fish. Each Clan has adapted over the years so that their skills and diets fit the regions they live in."

Sunpaw was going to ask more, but another hiss from Foxleap silenced her. "We've got company!" he growled. Sure enough, Sunpaw looked up to see four shadowy cats slinking toward them through the swamp. A lump was caught in Sunpaw's throat as she saw Lionblaze and Foxleap unsheathe their claws. There she was—a fresh apprentice who knew no battle moves just about to get involved in a border dispute. _StarClan help me!_

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	7. Chapter 6

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 6_

This chapter is obviously a continuation of the previous cliffhanger... Lol I don't know what else to say! Let's just move on to the disclaimer! XD

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Six**

"Watch where you're marking the border!" a white-and-black tomcat spat with distaste. "The last thing we need is your ThunderClan scent stinking up our territory!"

Foxleap let out an irritated growl. "Back at you! Your poorly-laid scents were wafting into our territory! We don't want to smell you either!"

"Enough of this!" Bramblestar hissed, stepping in between Foxleap and that ShadowClan warrior.

A ginger tom bared his teeth. "I don't care if you are the ThunderClan leader! Don't tell us what to do, and stay off our territory!"

"No, listen to him," a tortoiseshell she-cat meowed angrily. "Bramblestar does not want any border skirmish."

Bramblestar purred when he saw the tortoiseshell. "Hello, Tawnypelt," he greeted. He padded forward and touched noses with her tenderly. Sunpaw's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The ThunderClan leader—her mentor—was nuzzling a ShadowClan cat! "It's nice to see you again."

Tawnypelt nodded in agreement. "It is nice. I've missed you, brother."

Sunpaw instantly relaxed. _Of course! Tawnypelt is Bramblestar's sister! Why didn't I remember that? I knew that!_ Sunpaw thought. She watched as Tawnypelt gazed at the ThunderClan warriors when something flashed across the she-cat's green eyes. Sunpaw couldn't be sure, but she thought that she recognized a hint of pride flash in her eyes. _Tawnypelt was once a ThunderClan cat… but then she left for ShadowClan. Why would any cat want to leave ThunderClan for that lousy excuse for a territory?_ Sunpaw wondered.

"So, how is the prey running in ShadowClan?" Bramblestar inquired conversationally.

Tawnypelt shrugged her shoulders. "Prey could always run better… Greenleaf will be upon us soon, though. Hopefully things will pick up… Bramblestar… have you or your warriors scented rogues in your territory?" she asked suddenly.

Sunpaw's eyes flew to Bramblestar. The tabby tom stood almost rigid, his neck fur rising. "No. Why? What's happened?"

The ShadowClan she-cat exchanged a brief glance with the other warriors around her. "Well… we recently found one of our newer warriors slain near the RiverClan border…"

"It could have been a badger, or a fox," Lionblaze suggested. "It didn't have to be a rogue, unless there was significant evidence."

"Or maybe ShadowClan cats think that all cats are murderers like they are," Foxleap muttered darkly.

Bramblestar shot the young red warrior a serious glare. "When we get back to camp Foxleap, I swear it by StarClan that we are going to have a talk about respect!" he hissed in a whisper.

Sunpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement as Foxleap cowered away from his leader. Bramblestar then turned to face the ShadowClan cats once more as Tawnypelt spoke.

"No, we're sure it was a cat… If a fox or a badger had done it, we would have smelled the scent in the surrounding area… Plus the wound on his body would have been messier… No, this kill was clean, but the cat's neck was still torn, not cut."

Sunpaw shivered at the thought of finding a corpse on her territory… especially if it were the body of one of her Clan-mates. "Do you think that the killer will come here?" Sunpaw asked softly. Her eyes were fixed on Lionblaze as she spoke.

Lionblaze glanced at his daughter, then put on a face of grim determination. "No. If any killer comes to ThunderClan territory, and tries to hurt my Clan, or my family, they'll have to answer to me."

Bramblestar nodded. "And me as well," he agreed. "Thank you for telling us, Tawnypelt. We'll keep our eyes and ears open. If we see or hear anything, we'll be sure to tell you."

"Thank you," the tortoiseshell she-cat purred. "It is much appreciated. ShadowClan will give you updates as well."

"Tawnypelt," Lionblaze suddenly interrupted. "Which cat was killed?"

The ShadowClan she-cat's eyes darkened for a moment with sorrow. As she raised them to look at the golden warrior, she whispered his name. "Tornclaw… He was one of Shrewfoot's kits."

Bramblestar dipped his head. "Well, thank you again, Tawnypelt. We best be going now."

Tawnypelt nodded in agreement. "As should we. Good-bye, Bramblestar, and may StarClan light your path," she meowed before bounding off back into the swampland with the ShadowClan warriors at her heels.

Once the ShadowClan cats were out of site, Bramblestar turned away from the ShadowClan territory. "Come on. We should get back to camp…" He whispered. Without another word, he turned around and began trotting swiftly back in the direction of the camp.

Lionblaze galloped behind him and slowed when he was beside him. Sunpaw followed and tried to get close enough where she could hear their conversation. "Are you going to tell the Clan?" Lionblaze inquired in a whisper.

Bramblestar shook his head almost worriedly. "I don't know… I don't want to send them into a panic."

Lionblaze let out an exasperated, almost annoyed sigh. "Don't you think that they would have a right to know?"

The brown tom shook his head once more. "I don't know, Lionblaze… I honestly don't know… Maybe I'll ask Jayfeather about it."

"Jayfeather can't answer all your questions!" Lionblaze snapped under his breath. "You know it! I don't know what Firestar was thinking when he chose you to be leader! You were a horrible choice, and you lack a backbone! Try something! If it doesn't work, try something else, but for StarClan's sake, try something! What is it going to take? Are you going to have to find a ThunderClan warrior dead before you decide?"

Sunpaw's eyes widened at his father's words. Even though she knew that she shouldn't be listening to the conversation, she strained her ears to hear more, swallowing each word hungrily.

"You know that _I_ should have been leader!" Lionblaze snarled. Sunpaw was surprised as the fierceness in her father's voice. "Firestar was a fool to choose you! I would have made a better leader!"

Bramblestar looked at him and glared. "You listen to me, Lionblaze. What's done is done, but in the end, I _am_ the Clan leader, and my word is law. I want to hear no more of this," he growled.

Lionblaze growled, and hung back to plod along beside Foxleap. Sunpaw felt a twinge of fear rush through her. She had never imagined that her father wanted anything more than to serve the Clan. She never really imagined that he had greater ambitions like becoming Clan leader.

As she thought about his words, she looked at Bramblestar. Was what Lionblaze said true? Did Bramblestar lack a backbone? Was he afraid to take action? Would Lionblaze be a better leader for ThunderClan?

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	8. Chapter 7

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 7_

In this chapter, we get to see more Graystripe (yay!) and learn more about Tawnypelt and Bramblestar's pasts (as if we didn't already know them). We also see a small confrontation and more angst. :) Hope you'll enjoy! The last chapter ended on a dramatic note, so I hope you like it's successor!

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Seven**

"We ran into a ShadowClan border patrol," Sunpaw boasted as she sat among her littermates near the fresh-kill pile. The two of the three young cats gathered around Sunpaw to listen. Only Stonepaw sat a few tail-lengths away, sulking.

"What happened? Was there a fight?" Finchpaw demanded, his tail twitching in anticipation for the tale.

"Did you see Blackstar?" Hollypaw asked.

"Blackstar wasn't there, but there was almost a fight! Foxleap and a few ShadowClan warriors were getting really riled up, but then Tawnypelt came and calmed down the ShadowClan cats," Sunpaw recalled half-heartedly as she gazed at Stonepaw. She missed her brother dearly, even if he did make fun of her occasionally as most brothers do.

"Who is Tawnypelt?" Finchpaw asked, his eyes wide with wonder.

Hollypaw cuffed him playfully on the ear. "Bramblestar's sister, you bee-brain! Remember the stories? She left ThunderClan when Firestar was leader and ran off to live in ShadowClan."

"Why would she do that?" Finchpaw wondered. "What cat would ever want to leave ThunderClan?"

"Tawnypelt was never truly accepted in ThunderClan," a deep voice meowed behind them. Hollypaw and Finchpaw whipped around while Sunpaw just looked up to see Graystripe standing there. "Forgive me, kittens. I wasn't eavesdropping—just overheard. Of course, I'm sure you know that Tawnypelt and Bramblestar are the kits of Tigerstar and Goldenflower."

Hollypaw nodded. "And Tigerstar was killed in the Great Battle!" she purred, proud to show off her knowledge to the elder.

Graystripe smiled kindly and sat down by the apprentices. "Well done, Hollypaw. You really know your Clan history. Tawnypelt—Tawnypaw back then—was originally Brackenfur's apprentice. Back then, Tigerstar was leader of ShadowClan and ThunderClan was very mistrustful of any cats that had relations to the dark leader. Tawnypelt and Bramblestar were targeted first and foremost for the fact that they were his offspring. This made Bramblestar more determined to prove himself as a loyal ThunderClan warrior—it convinced him to try harder to earn his loyalty. Tawnypelt, however, did not have the same reaction.

"Tawnypelt was always a gentle creature. She was very loving, and kind. She certainly is not the stereotypical ShadowClan warrior. Even though she has ThunderClan blood in her veins, she is a ShadowClan cat at heart… Tawnypelt never supported her father, or his ethics, but in ThunderClan, she faced punishment by her Clanmates for his crimes. Unlike Bramblestar, she wanted to find a place where she would live in peace without judgment," Graystripe told them.

Sunpaw listened to Graystripe and felt her heart wrench for Tawnypelt. "Why would ThunderClan treat her so badly?" she asked.

Graystripe gazed at her thoughtfully. "I know that it is sad, young one. It was a dark time for the Clans. It was a time of tragedy and doubt. It felt like cats couldn't trust one another. It was a time when a cat that you had known your whole life and had been your friend, turned out to be a traitor. Tigerstar was a dark cat. He let his darkness and hatred for the world consume him and control him. He could have been a great warrior, but he ruined it for himself."

"Could you tell us more about Tigerstar, Graystripe?" Hollypaw asked hopefully.

"Yeah! I want to know how he died the first time!" Finchpaw chimed in.

"Graystripe, are you bothering these apprentices?" a she-cat's voice purred. A gray tabby she-cat padded up beside Graystripe and entwined her tail with his.

"No, Millie," he purred in reply and licked her cheek.

"Yuck!" Stonepaw exclaimed from a few tail-lengths away. He recoiled from the couple like they were a spitting fox.

"Ew! Get a den!" Finchpaw jested.

Hollypaw sighed dreamily. "So romantic…"

Sunpaw laughed at her littermates' reactions. Graystripe and Millie were doing the same. "Come on, Graystripe," Millie meowed. "You promised to share a shrew with me." The two elders padded off to the fresh-kill pile and began nosing through the day's profits.

"They're disgusting!" Stonepaw exclaimed once they were out of earshot.

"I think it's sweet," Hollypaw protested. The fluffy black apprentice stuck her tongue out at her gray-furred brother.

"No one cares what you think," Finchpaw teased before ducking his head to avoid Hollypaw's well-aimed swipe that would have stuck his ear. "Kidding!"

Sunpaw folded her paws underneath her and rested her head on the ground. "I'm glad it's stopped raining," she commented glancing up at the sky. Lucky for ThunderClan, the storm clouds that Sunpaw and the patrol had witness earlier had missed them by a whisker and floated up out of ThunderClan territory.

Finchpaw flicked his tail in agreement. "I hate the rain."

Hollypaw grunted as she stretched. "Oh," she yawned as she pulled herself back into a normal standing position. "Well, I'm exhausted. I'm going to head inside and get some sleep."

"Me too," Finchpaw agreed and padded after his sister into the apprentices den, leaving Stonepaw and Sunpaw alone.

Sunpaw looked longingly at her brother but he avoided her face. Her pelt prickled with a mixture of annoyance and sorrow. She finally pulled herself to her paws and went over to sit beside him. "Are you mad at me?" she demanded.

Stonepaw looked up at her, his blue eyes puzzled. "Why would I be mad at you?"

Normally, Sunpaw would have hissed at his stupid question, but he sounded genuine. "I don't know, really. You've just been acting so cold towards me!"

He sighed and looked at her almost sadly. "I'm sorry, Sunpaw. I guess that I was just jealous that you got an awesome mentor and I got Thornclaw… You know he was training with the Dark Forest before the Great Battle."

Sunpaw sighed. "I know, but in the end he fought for the Clans! He's a loyal ThunderClan warrior, and I know that he'll be a good mentor."

Stonepaw sulked and looked away. "Not as good as Bramblestar."

She lashed her tail in annoyance and let out an irritated sigh. "If you want to be like that, Stonepaw, fine! I'm done wasting my time trying to convince you not to be jealous over something so stupid!" she hissed. "I have bigger things to worry about than you!"

As she stalked into the den, she was overwhelmed by the truth of her own words. Stonepaw was worrying about having a lousy mentor while she had to deal with a prophecy that could be about her. Jayfeather's words buzzed around in her head like an angry bee. _Sacrifice shall be her meaning._ Sunpaw shivered and prayed that it was not true.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, be sure to click on my username to see more!


	9. Chapter 8

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 8_

THE TRUTH?! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

XD XD XD XD Ignore me. I have waaaaaaaayyyyyy too much fun when I drink orange juice at noon. XD Anywho, we learn... well not the truth, but kind of something like it.

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Yowls of terrified cats echoed throughout ThunderClan territory. Sunpaw let out a yowl of confusion and shook her head in dismay. She could hear the voices of her Clanmates around her, calling to her for her help. "Sunpaw!" Hollypaw's voice called from her right. "Sunpaw help me!"

"Hollypaw!" Sunpaw gasped and turned toward the direction of her voice. She trying to peer through the overpowering darkness to see her sister, but couldn't. "Hollypaw, where are you?!" she yowled.

"Sunpaw, over here!" Finchpaw's voice called.

"Finchpaw!"

"Sunpaw!"

"Sunpaw!"

"Save us, Sunpaw!"

"Help us!"

"We need your help!"

"Sunpaw!"

Suddenly, everything went quiet. The voices left leaving Sunpaw standing in the forest, trembling. Her body trembled and she wanted nothing more than to let out a yowl of distress and curl into a ball. She looked up from staring at the dark, muddy ground beneath her paws to see a ghostly figure coming toward her. "StarClan! StarClan, help me!" she cried.

The figure approached her slowly, and as it got closer, a familiar scent flowed from it that made Sunpaw sigh with relief. "Jayfeather," she breathed. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's me," the ThunderClan medicine cat's sharp voice came from in front of her. He stepped into view and looked her up and down for a moment as if he could see her. "It's the first time I've walked in your dreams, young one. I never expected them to be so dark."

Sunpaw looked at her paws sheepishly. "Yeah… I've been having nightmares a lot lately."

Sympathy flashed in the older cat's eyes for a brief moment, but then it was gone. "Sunpaw… I'm not here to chit-chat or gossip with you. I'm here for serious reasons, obviously. It's not every day an apprentice gets visited by the Clan medicine cat in her dreams… But there is something I wanted to speak with you about—something important," he meowed.

"It's about the prophecy, isn't it?" Sunpaw blurted on, then slammed her mouth shut.

Jayfeather's whisker's twitched, and he unsheathed his claws. He dug them into the ground with a dark look on his face as if he were imagining that he were sinking them into flesh. "You heard then?"

Sunpaw nodded solemnly. "I overheard you and Bramblestar."

"Yes, about that," Jayfeather meowed quickly, his gaze returning to her. "You mustn't tell Bramblestar that I came to visit you. He wanted to wait until you were a warrior to tell you, but… But I fear that your skills will be needed sooner… Onestar once told me something that I always found interesting, you know? I was on my way to visit RiverClan, and I met him on the lakeshore. It was before the Great Battle and, even though he didn't know it would even happen yet, he could feel the unease of the Clans. He looked out at the lake, and he said 'The water is calm, but the currents pull beneath the surface. Though they can't be seen, they have the power to drag cats to their deaths.' Sunpaw, I fear that we are facing a danger like this again."

Sunpaw stared at Jayfeather wide-eyed. "So… you think that the Clans are under attack? Do you think the rogues that killed Tornclaw—"

"What rogues?" Jayfeather interrupted her, his voice harsh and almost scathing. "What do you know?"

Sunpaw shrunk back from him, not feeling as confident. "Well… When we patrolled along the ShadowClan border this morning, we met a ShadowClan patrol and they told us that a warrior named Tornclaw had been killed near the RiverClan border… They said that they thought it was rogues."

Jayfeather growled, his fur fluffed up in anger. "Why didn't Bramblestar tell me?" he asked, more to himself. "I had a right to know. He should know how important this is!"

"Bramblestar said that he didn't want to worry the Clan," Sunpaw offered.

The medicine cat just growled. "Firestar…" he trailed off and lashed his tail with irritation. "What am I saying? I'm starting to sound like Lionblaze," he muttered, again to himself.

"Lionblaze talked to Bramblestar on the way back from the border," Sunpaw meowed. She thought that Jayfeather had a right to know about that since he had been kept in the dark about so many other things. "He told Bramblestar that he would have made a better leader than him… Do you think that Lionblaze would try to… I don't know… Do something to Bramblestar?"

Jayfeather stared at her for a moment, and then grinned. Sunpaw's eyes widened as she saw the grin form on his face. "I don't think it's so funny!" Sunpaw hissed.

He dropped his head and his shoulders shook. For a moment Sunpaw thought he was having some kind of seizure, but then, he raised his head. Sunpaw recoiled in confusion. He was laughing.

"Sunpaw!" he exclaimed in a purr. "Lionblaze is a mouse-brain… No offense to you of course. Don't worry about him… He's got a big mouth but not enough guts to do anything about it. He is a brave warrior, yes, but sometimes he's just all talk. Ignore him, apprentice. You have greater things to worry about," he meowed, his laugh dying away. "We all have more serious things to worry about."

"Jayfeather… do you think that the Clans are really in danger?" Sunpaw asked.

He nodded almost sadly. "Yes, Sunpaw. I do. I can only hope that StarClan will be by our side to help us through this."

Sunpaw opened her jaws to say more, but she saw the vision beginning to fade. "Jayfeather!" she called, but he was gone.

"Sunpaw!" Hollypaw's voice jolted her back into reality.

Sunpaw's eyes flew open and met the wall of the apprentices' den. She looked up to see her sister prodding her with her forepaw. "Are you okay? You were murmuring in your sleep and you nearly clawed me to death!" she meowed worriedly

"I'm fine," Sunpaw lied to smooth the worry in her sister's vibrant green eyes. "Really I am… I just had a nightmare is all." Sunpaw couldn't tell Hollypaw the truth. She wanted so badly to tell her what was truly on her mind, but she couldn't. _Hollypaw shouldn't have to worry. She's a normal cat… I… I'm not. She can be a normal apprentice and have no other worries but whether or not she'll become a good warrior. I don't have that luxury._

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Please leave a review and LET ME KNOW! Oh, and by the way, if you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, just click on my username to see more!


	10. Chapter 9

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 9_

Hey! Hi! How are you?

Good?

I'm great!

Okay, disclaimer time!

I don't own Warriors.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"Keep your tail lower to the ground," Bramblestar instructed.

Sunpaw bit her lip and lowered her tail until it touched the ground. She crouched low, her muscles bunched, and ears flattened against her head in determination.

"Not that low!" Bramblestar called, irritation rising in his voice. He trotted over from his seat on the edge of the training hollow. He ran his tail along her spine and entwined his with hers, raising it up. "Not too high to alert the prey, but not too low to rustle leaves."

Sunpaw bit back a sharp retort. _I'll never get it right!_ she thought with despair. Pushing away her thoughts, she focused on positioning her tail and stared straight ahead. "Like this, Bramblestar?" she asked.

He nodded. "Good. Now, leap forward."

She did as he told her and shoved off the ground with all her might. Wind ruffled her fur as she soared through the air and landed on the oak leaf she had been stalking. She pinned it to the ground under her paws before looking at her mentor expectantly.

Bramblestar twitched his whiskers and padded closer again. "Well done, but try to remember to hit the ground with all for paws at once. If your back paws hit the ground before your front, it will alert the prey."

Sunpaw dipped her head and glanced up at the sky. The sun was slanting down into the hollow between the blossoms on the tree branches. She took a brief moment to admire the newleaf beauty before returning her gaze to the ground. It was nearly sunhigh and her belly rumbled expectantly. She suddenly wished that she'd waited longer and eaten something earlier with Hollypaw.

"Can we learn battle moves yet?" Sunpaw asked. Truly, she was bored of learning hunting skills. _I'm no good at hunting! I bet I couldn't even catch a mouse if I tried!_ she thought with disdain.

Bramblestar shook his head. "Not yet. I want you to get better at hunting first." He paused for a moment and pricked his ears toward the forest. "Here, why don't we practice your skills on real prey?"

Her ears pricked up at those words, and she nodded eagerly. Bramblestar's whiskers twitched in amusement and he padded away into the forest. Sunpaw followed on his heels, and kept her mouth open to taste the air for any scents of prey. A gust of wind smacked her in the face bringing with it the distinctive taste of squirrel.

Sunpaw crouched low to the ground as she saw the light brown creature nibbling on something in its paws. Keeping her paw steps light, she slowly started toward it. Just as she bunched her muscles and prepared to spring, a yowl of pain cut her off. She stood up abruptly and her quarry scurried up a tree. "What was that?!" she asked. Sunpaw was unable to keep her voice from trembling as she looked over her shoulder at her mentor. Bramblestar stood tense and ready, prepared to leap off at a moment's notice.

"I don't know…" he whispered. "Come on, and stay close to me." With that, he bounded off toward the sound, and Sunpaw followed him blindly. Bramblestar raced through the forest in the direction of the Ancient Oak with Sunpaw hot on his heels. As they neared the large, majestic tree, Sunpaw slowed down as she saw what was going on.

Bumblestripe, Ivypool, Icecloud and Foxleap stood crowded around a limp form on the ground. As Bramblestar neared them, the cats cleared out of the way for him. Sunpaw edged forward, her curiosity getting the better of her. As she padded forward, Ivypool bounded up to her. "Come with me, Sunpaw," she meowed softly. "Come on, you don't want to see this."

Sunpaw shoved past the gray tabby she-cat. "What happened?" she demanded struggling to see around Bramblestar's form.

Ivypool looked at her for a moment as if she were pondering how much to say, then sighed. "Rosepetal is dead… A rogue killed her."

Sunpaw whipped around to face her. "What?" she gasped. Memories of the day her patrol met the ShadowClan cats flooded into her mind. She remembered vividly Tawnypelt telling them that they, too, had lost a warrior to rogues. "It can't be! Not Rosepetal!"

The older she-cat sighed and dipped her head. "I'm afraid it is… Foxleap… Foxleap is not taking it well… I think that he wanted to be her mate…"

Sunpaw watched and Bumblestripe and Foxleap helped haul the limp form of Rosepetal on to Bramblestar's back. The two toms remained at his side ready to nudge the corpse further on to his back if it started to slide. Icecloud padded over to the other two she-cats, her face solemn. "I can't believe she's gone," the white she-cat whispered.

"I know," Ivypool agreed. "I was just sharing a thrush with her this morning."

Icecloud shook her head. "What a waste of a great warrior," she meowed watching the toms disappear into the ferns. "Come on. We better follow them."

The three she-cats set off in pursuit of the toms slowly. Sunpaw looked at Ivypool, and suddenly asked, "Do you think the rogues that killed the ShadowClan cat killed her too?"

Ivypool's head snapped up and looked at her. "A ShadowClan cat is dead too?"

Sunpaw nodded weakly. She sighed as she remembered that Bramblestar had not told the Clan about Tawnypelt's news yet. "Bramblestar didn't tell the Clan yet… he said he didn't want to worry them but… but now Rosepetal is dead… Do you think that it's just a coincidence?"

Ivypool flattened her ears against her head and let out a low growl. "No. I don't."

"We've had rogues in the territory before," Icecloud pointed out. "They've never meant harm toward us… usually."

The gray she-cat shook her head. "Well obviously, these ones do…" Fear flashed across Ivypool's face for a moment, and then disappeared. She looked at Icecloud urgently. "You don't think this is Sol's work, do you?"

Sunpaw felt Icecloud stiffen. "It can't be… he was chased out moons ago… Firestar—"

"Firestar is dead now," Ivypool reminded. "What if he sees the Clans as being weak and tries to attack? I might not have been alive then, but I remember the stories about what he did to ShadowClan… I also remember what he tried to do when he returned to ThunderClan. Sol is bad news."

"I'm not disagreeing with you," Icecloud replied. "All I'm saying is that I think that he would have to be pretty brave to show his face here again. All the Clans are aware of his nature."

"Who is Sol?" Sunpaw managed to ask in a break of the conversation.

Icecloud looked at her thoughtfully. "You wouldn't know, would you, young one? Sol was a cat that once convinced ShadowClan that the warrior code was just a lie. He convinced Blackstar that there was no StarClan. ThunderClan, however, was able to drive him out, but he returned… He claimed to have saved Cherrystripe and Moleclaw when they were kits, but it was really Hollyleaf, Lionblaze and Jayfeather's long-lost sister. He was planning on destroying ThunderClan, but we soon showed him the exit."

"Do you think that he would seek revenge?" Sunpaw questioned. Her pelt prickled with fear at the thought of a cat who wanted to hurt ThunderClan. A cat as evil as the one described seemed alien-like to her.

Ivypool shrugged. "I don't know… but I wouldn't put anything past him…"

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Tell me! Leave a review! I read them all! Oh, and if you check out my page and look at my other stories, it would be greatly appreciated! Be sure to review, follow and favorite! :)


	11. Chapter 10

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 10_

Someone died.

Let's move on.

I'll shut up now.

I don't own Warriors.

Sorry.

I lied.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar's yowl rung throughout the camp, echoing off the stone walls. Sunpaw was in the apprentice's den sharing tongues with Hollypaw when he made the announcement.

Hollypaw's green eyes glowed with curiosity. "Come on, let's go see what's up," she murmured as she pulled herself to her paws.

Sunpaw didn't argue, but already knew what he was going to tell the Clan. Sighing, she followed her sister out into the camp. The sky was a messy array of colors ranging from pinks to purples to oranges to reds, and to grays. Bramblestar sat on Highledge peering down at his Clan-mates. His shape was silhouetted against the sunset, and it was difficult to make out the marks on his face. Most of the Clan was assembled and Sunpaw and Hollypaw hurried over to take their seats.

"I wonder what this is about," Sunpaw heard Cherrystripe whisper to Poppyfrost. The two she-cats sat nearby murmuring to one another.

"Didn't you see Rosepetal today?" Mousewhisker asked, turning around to face the she-cats. "She was killed by a rogue."

"What?!" Poppyfrost gasped in disbelief.

"It's true," Sunpaw put in. The three warriors looked at her in shock. Sunpaw felt irritation prickle in her fur. _Why are they staring at me like I just said that I saw a hedgehog flying across the sky?_ she wondered with annoyance. _Just because I'm an apprentice doesn't mean that I don't know things, or that I'm stupid!_ "I saw it."

Cherrystripe leaned closer to Sunpaw and lowered her voice. "It's true?"

Sunpaw nodded grimly. "Yes."

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar yowled causing all the cats to turn their attention to him. "One of our own has been killed. Rosepetal, a loyal, fearless ThunderClan warrior was slain this afternoon. She was most likely killed by a rogue, and her body was discovered at the base of the Ancient Oak in ThunderClan territory."

Spiderleg, who stood nearby, hung his head in grief. Sunpaw watched him with confusion. Why should he mourn for Rosepetal. Poppyfrost must have seen her puzzled expression. "Spiderleg is Rosepetal and Toadstep's father," she explained.

Sunpaw shot another glance at the graying warrior before looking back up at Bramblestar. "What are we going to do about it, then?!" a voice called out. Sunpaw recognized Cloudtail's yowl.

"Yeah, what _are_ you planning to do about it, Bramblestar?" Lionblaze called. Sunpaw shivered at the malignance in her father's voice, but tried to ignore it.

Hollypaw must've heard it to and edged closer to Sunpaw. "What's wrong with him?" she asked in a whisper.

"I don't know," Sunpaw lied. She wasn't about to tell her sister what Lionblaze thought of Bramblestar.

"We're going to organize more patrols along the borders. I want dawn, sunhigh, and sunset patrols! At the next gathering, I'm going to announce the death of Rosepetal to the other leaders and warn them of this new threat. The Clans must still be strong and stand together if they want to protect one another," Bramblestar meowed. "Lionblaze, since you're so concerned, why don't you lead the sunset patrol?" he suggested dryly. "You can take Thornclaw, Berrynose, and Stonepaw with you. Squirrelflight, I want you to lead a patrol along the WindClan border, take Leafpool, Lilypaw, and Spiderleg."

Sunpaw saw Spiderleg's ears twitch at the sound of his name, but he didn't look up. She could scarcely make out the ginger pelt of the ThunderClan deputy that sat at the base of Highledge.

"While we're here," Bramblestar continued. "I have another ceremony I would wish to perform. The Clan is prospering, and even though their naming ceremony is late due to their antics, I think it is time we add more apprentices to the mix. Snowkit, Amberkit, Dewkit, would you three please come forward?"

Sunpaw watched with amusement as the three kits scrambled from the nursery while their mother, Brightheart, chased after them, her face stricken with fear. Sunpaw's whiskers twitched remembered Cinderheart's anxiety when she hadn't groomed all of Sunpaw's littermates before the naming ceremony. Cloudtail bounded over and licked his mate's shoulder affectionately before looking back to Bramblestar.

"Snowkit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Snowpaw. Icecloud, it is has been a while since you have had an apprentice—you will be mentor to Snowpaw. I expect you to teach her all of the skills you were taught," Bramblestar meowed, looking at the white she-cat kindly.

Icecloud dipped her head. "Of course, Bramblestar," she mewed. "It is an honor as always to train ThunderClan's young to be great warriors." She padded forward and touched noses with the jittering Snowpaw.

"Amberkit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Amberpaw. Leafpool, you have not always lived the life of a warrior, but I know that you are more than capable. You fought bravely when your Clan called upon you, and I have no doubt that you will make a fine warrior out of Amberpaw," Bramblestar told her.

Leafpool nodded eagerly. "I will not let you down, Bramblestar," she promised, padding up and touching noses with her new apprentice.

"And last, but certainly not least," Bramblestar finished, looking at Dewkit with kind eyes. "Dewkit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Dewpaw. Cinderheart, you mentored Ivypool and helped her become a great warrior. You are a fine warrior and I know that you will be able to make another amazing warrior out of Dewpaw."

Cinderheart dipped her head and raised it back up to Bramblestar with pride. "I will do my best, as always, Bramblestar," she purred and padded to Dewpaw to touch noses.

"ThunderClan, I present you our three newest apprentices! Snowpaw! Amberpaw! Dewpaw!" he yowled. Sunpaw joined in as the Clan chanted the new names of the apprentices.

Hollypaw sighed beside her. "Great," she muttered. "Now we have to share our den with them as well as Lilypaw and Seedpaw."

"There'll be room," Sunpaw promised. She enjoyed the aspect of having new den-mates to meet. "It'll be fine! I bet we'll even have fun with them."

Hollypaw snorted in mock laughter. "Whatever… I don't think so, though."

"I bet that's what Lilypaw and Seedpaw were thinking when we were made apprentices," Sunpaw offered.

Hollypaw just shrugged. "I'm tired. I'm going to get some sleep."

Sunpaw watched her go, cocking her head to one side. "Don't you want to congratulate them?"

"You do it for me," Hollypaw muttered before slinking into the apprentices' den.

Sunpaw wanted to follow her sister and question her about her bad mood, but decided against it. She wouldn't let her sister's attitude ruin her day. She padded over to the new apprentices to congratulate them when she saw Spiderleg and Toadstep dragging Rosepetal's limp body into the center of the camp below Highledge. Sunpaw looked away quickly, trying not to think about the gaping hole in her Clan-mate's throat.

She picked her way through the crowd to the new apprentices, and congratulated them. "Thanks, Sunpaw," Dewpaw purred. "I'm so excited I'm an apprentice! Is it really as awesome as it looks?"

Sunpaw purred at his enthusiasm. "It is for the most part… until you get assigned to clean out the nursery or the elders' den."

"Yuck!" Amberpaw exclaimed padding closer to them. "Do we really have to do that?"

"Well it's not all fun and games, right?" Snowpaw put in gathering closer as well. "I mean, someone has to do it… and if we have to do it to become good warriors, then we should."

Sunpaw purred. She had a feeling she was going to get along with the new apprentices.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? You did! Great! Remember to leave a review telling me about what you liked. Oh, and before I forget, be sure to follow and favorite this story as well. Thanks!


	12. Chapter 11

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 11_

The last chapter was... somewhat intense. This chapter will be even more so!

I don't own Warriors

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

"Squirrelflight, Jayfeather, Cloudtail, Birchfall, Whitewing, Spiderleg, Blossomfall, Dovewing, Ivypool, Lightpaw, Seedpaw, and Sunpaw, meet me by the camp entrance!" Bramblestar yowled from Highledge.

Sunpaw looked toward the entrance of the apprentices' den then back to her sister. "I gotta go," she meowed remorsefully.

"I know," Hollypaw sighed. "You're so lucky to get to go to a Gathering!"

"Yeah, you better tell us everything that happens!" Finchpaw added glaring at her playfully. "Or else I'll shred you."

Sunpaw flexed her claws playfully. "I'd like to see you try," Sunpaw growled determinedly.

"Come on, Sunpaw!" Seedpaw hissed from the entrance.

She sighed. "I gotta go!" she said again and bounded after the other two apprentices. Most of the patrol was already gathered near the camp entrance. Seedpaw stood next to Squirrelflight and squeezed through the barrier after her mentor. Sunpaw was one of the last ones to pass through the brambles after Lightpaw.

As she pulled herself free of the barrier, Lightpaw was waiting for her. "I thought I'd wait," she meowed simply.

"Thanks," Sunpaw huffed and followed the rest of the patrol.

The two she-cats padded side-by-side at the back of the patrol. Ivypool and Dovewing were chattering a tail-length in front of them and Sunpaw heard Bumblestripe's name mentioned. Lightpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement at the two sisters. "Sometimes I feel more mature than my mother," she jested.

Sunpaw let out a purr of laughter. "Yeah… Lightpaw… is Bumblestripe your father?" she asked in a whisker.

The gray she-cat's eyes clouded with uncertainty. "I don't know, Sunpaw. I think so… but… but Dovewing never says anything about it," she whispered. "I hope it's Bumblestripe. If it's not him… than… than it might be a cat from another Clan."

Sunpaw looked at her curiously, but said no more about it. "So, do you think that the other Clans have experienced the murders too? We know that ShadowClan has… do you think the RiverClan and WindClan cats have been killed too?"

Lightpaw shrugged. "I don't know… I hope not. The Clans have just begun to live in peace. The Great Battle sent them spiraling into an abyss of mistrust and fear… after the battle… things became calm… but at the same time, the wounds were still there. They took a long time to heal, and some became infected… I think that there are still cats—Clan cats—that wish that the Dark Forest would have won and have grudges against the Clans for winning and refusing to be destroyed."

The golden-furred apprentice stared at her friend in shock. She never thought that the killings were repercussions of the Great Battle. She shivered at the thought of Clan cats killing their own Clan-mates. She couldn't imagine ever killing Lightpaw, or Ivypool, or Lionblaze, or Cinderheart… or Hollypaw. "Do you really think so?"

Again, she shrugged. "It's just a theory, but it's a probable one."

ThunderClan was the last Clan to enter the clearing on the island. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight pelted toward the large pine tree where the leaders and deputies sat while the ThunderClan cats began to mingle with the other Clans.

The scents and sounds of the Gathering overwhelmed Sunpaw at first. The mixed scents of the other Clans made her nearly gag. Not knowing any other cats, she stuck close to Lightpaw and other ThunderClan warriors. "Is this your first Gathering?" she asked Lightpaw.

The gray she-cat shook her head. "I was at one once before." Lightpaw then padded off to a group of other apprentices that were clustered nearby.

"Did you hear what happened in ThunderClan?" a ginger tom asked in a hushed voice. "There's been another killing there."

"Who?" a golden tom asked in return.

"Rosepetal," Sunpaw meowed.

The group of apprentices looked up at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

Lightpaw nodded. "We think was a group of rogues, but we can't be sure. Didn't a ShadowClan warrior get killed as well?" she asked.

The ginger tom who had spoken first nodded curtly. "That's right. He was my mentor—Tornclaw."

"I'm sorry," Sunpaw meowed. Her voice was barely above a whisper and she wasn't sure if the ginger tom had even heard her.

He stood up and looked at the two ThunderClan she-cats with amber eyes. "My name's Talonpaw. I'm a ShadowClan apprentice."

Lightpaw nodded in greeting. "I'm Lightpaw, and this is—"

A yowl from the large pine tree cut Lightpaw off and all the cats averted their attention to the four leaders. "The Gathering has begun!" a large white tom with black paws yowled.

"Let's find better seats," Lightpaw whispered. Sunpaw nodded and followed her friend as they crept back to ThunderClan cats. They took a seat next to Birchfall as the Gathering officially commenced.

"Thank you, Blackstar," a brown tabby meowed, dipping his head. "If the other leaders do not object, I wish to speak first." When no cat challenged him, he tabby continued. "WindClan is doing well. We have a new litter of kits to Swallowtail and Emberfoot. Sedgewhisker has also joined the nursery expecting Boulderfur's kits," he announced.

Sunpaw saw as cats around a gray tom with dark paws began to murmur congratulations to him. _That must be Emberfoot or Boulderfur,_ Sunpaw thought.

"WindClan, however, has also lost a fine, brave warrior this past moon. Heathertail was found dead near an old badger set. We thought that a badger had killed her, but the badger scent was stale and we believe that rogues are responsible," the brown tom continued.

Shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd. Sunpaw exchanged a glance with Lightpaw, and then they both looked back to the leaders as a gray she-cat nodded her had.

"RiverClan has also lost a warrior this moon… Reed… Reedwhisker, our deputy, was found dead in the stream yesterday… He had served his Clan well since the time I kitted him when we lived in the old forest all those moons ago. He was a son, he was a mate, he was a father, and most importantly, he was a warrior. He will be missed dearly by all RiverClan," she meowed. "Mintfur is our new deputy."

Bramblestar nodded sadly. "I wish many moons of prosperity and service to Mintfur and all of RiverClan. Indeed, Reedwhisker will be greatly missed, as will Heathertail, Tornclaw and Rosepetal. All Clans have lost cats this past moon. Rosepetal was found dead on ThunderClan territory three days ago, and we can only assume that she was killed by rogues."

Blackstar nodded sharply. "Tornclaw was killed as well! One rogue could not have done this! There must be more, and this rogue, or these rogues must have had incentives for killing a cat from each Clan!" he growled.

"Do you think that they are trying to frighten us?" the she-cat asked. "But why would they?"

"The only thing we could do—have more border patrols and share what we discover with the others," the brown tabby sighed. "We have to put the safety of our Clans first."

Bramblestar nodded in agreement. "We do… If I learn anything, I will share it with the other Clan leaders," he vowed.

"As will I," the gray she-cat meowed.

The other two leaders agreed, and the Gathering came to an end. As Sunpaw followed the other back to ThunderClan territory, she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of dread that arose inside her. There was a killer in the midst of the Clans.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	13. Chapter 12

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun_

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Twelve**

Thirteen days had passed since the Gathering. Sunpaw was perfecting her skills and growing stronger each day. She slowly became more confident, and more sure of herself with each passing sun. Her littermates also began to become more skilled and all of them anxiously awaited the day when they would be named warriors.

"Sunpaw!" a familiar voice called. Sunpaw looked up to see Lightfoot. Shortly after the Gathering, Lightpaw, Seedpaw and Lilypaw had been made warriors. They were now known as Lightfoot, Seedfall, and Lilyheart. "Want to go hunting? Bramblestar and Jayfeather are on their way to the Moonpool."

Sunpaw stared at Lightfoot in wonder for a moment. "Why is he going there?"

Lightfoot shrugged. "I guess that he's seeking advice from StarClan about the murders…"

In the past week, the rogues killed another WindClan warrior—Harespring—. His body was thrown into the stream the divided WindClan territory from the ThunderClan territory. If it weren't for some rocks further downstream, his body might never have been discovered.

Sunpaw flicked her ear worriedly. "Hopefully StarClan will give us answers… Where do you want to hunt?" she asked trying to get off the topic of the murders. The more and more the killings were mentioned, the more and more Sunpaw thought about the prophecy. The other day she caught Jayfeather "watching" her closely and remembered with a jolt that the prophecy was still real.

"How about near the abandoned Twoleg nest? There might be some prey around there foraging," Lightfoot suggested.

"Good idea," she agreed and squeezed underneath the bramble barrier. As she pulled herself out onto the other side, she wondered where Hollypaw was. _She's probably training,_ Sunpaw thought simply.

Lightfoot emerged from the tunnel a moment later and shook out her gray pelt. "Come on, let's go!" she meowed and raced off in the direction of the old Twoleg nest. "Race you!" she called over her shoulder.

Sunpaw growled but hared after her. "That's not fair! You got a head-start!" She heard Lightfoot's giggles and just pushed herself faster, determined not to let her friend beat her. She dug her claws into the ground to push herself faster.

The length between her and Lightfoot slowly began to shorten as the gray she-cat slowed. Sunpaw pushed herself faster even though her muscles burned from the exertion. Somehow, she found the energy to push herself past her friend. As the abandoned Twoleg nest came into view, Sunpaw smiled in triumph and skidded to a halt before she ran into one of the wooden walls.

Lightfoot padded up behind her. "Great StarClan, you're fast," she panted. "Good race."

"Thanks," Sunpaw breathed. "You… too."

The barking of a dog made both she-cats freeze. The clearing that belonged to ShadowClan was nearby and Sunpaw knew that during this time of year there would be Twolegs there, and they could bring dogs with them. Lightfoot hissed. "Quickly! Climb a tree!"

Sunpaw didn't need to be told twice and raced up a nearby birch tree. Lightfoot did the same climbing up an ash tree on the other side of the game trail. The large black-and-tan creature bounded into view and stood on the trail panting. Sunpaw held back a hiss of disgust as she saw the dog's slobber dripping from the sides of his jaws and falling to the ground. Its sharp, white fangs were coated with the saliva as it bounded forward, barking.

Lightfoot gasped. "It's heading toward the camp!"

Sunpaw looked and sure enough, she saw the dog heading off in the direction of the stone hollow. "Come on! We have to divert it, or warn the Clan!" she hissed. Digging her claws into the bark of the ash tree, she scrambled down the trunk as fast as she could. When she hit the ground, she didn't even check to see if Lightfoot was following, she just pelted off after the dog.

Blood roared in her ears as she saw the creature in the distance. It had stopped near the training hollow and was sniffing around. Thinking fast, she knew that she had to divert it's attention or else it might wander into the training hollow. _Hollypaw could be in there, or Finchpaw, or Stonepaw!_ she thought despairingly.

"Hey! Slobber-face!" she yowled as loud as she could.

The dog raised its head and looked at her. "Over here you mouse-brained fool! Can't catch me!" she taunted. The dog let out an excited bark and began bounding toward her.

Sunpaw whipped around and raced off into the forest, not paying attention where she was going. She could hear the dog barking and howling behind her. It sounded chillingly excited. Her heart pounded in her chest so loudly she thought that the dog could hear it. It wasn't long before she felt the dog's heavy paw steps shaking the ground behind her. She tried to push herself faster, feeling the dog's hot breath on the back of her neck. She dug her claws into the ground and forced herself forward.

Her muscles ached with effort, but she couldn't stop. _If I stop I'm dead!_ she thought. She couldn't determine where she was, or where she was heading. The forest blurred around her. Landmarks morphed into to normal forest objects. Everything seemed the same.

Finally, she spotted something she recognized. Near the lakeshore, she saw the Ancient Oak rising tall and proud above all the other trees. She huffed exhaustedly, but hared forward. If she could reach the massive trunk and climb it, she would be able to escape the dog.

Barking sounded close behind her. She pulled her tail up over her back just as she heard the sound of teeth hitting teeth. She knew that the dog had tried to bite her. Gulping, she reached the gnarled roots and bounded up them, sinking her claws into the bark of the trunk. Using what little energy she had left from her adrenaline rush, she pulled herself up the trunk and to the lowest branch.

Winded, she looked down at the dog that was jumping up and down below her, staring at her with wild eyes. Sunpaw's lips curled back in a snarl and she bared her teeth. "Get out of my territory!" she snarled.

There was a sound from the forest causing both animals to look toward it. Sunpaw's hackles rose and her neck fur bristled as she recognized the stench and voice of a Twoleg. The dog looked up at the Sunpaw and then back at the forest. It whimpered before running off toward the forest back to its Twoleg. Sunpaw let out sigh of relief and let her fur lie flat.

"Sunpaw!" Lightfoot's voice from the edge of the trees away from where the dog had left. "Sunpaw!"

"I'm here!" she called back as she ungracefully descended the trunk. Lightfoot, Hollypaw, Hazeltail, Cinderheart, Dewpaw, Lionblaze and Bramblestar all bounded from the trees and ran toward her.

"Sunpaw!" Cinderheart gasped as she rushed up to her daughter. "Great StarClan, Sunpaw! We heard the dog and we thought that it would kill you!"

"That was so brave of you!" Dewpaw exclaimed, staring at her with wide eyes. "That was so amazing!"

"It was," Lionblaze agreed. He pressed his muzzle against her soothingly. "I'm so proud of you, Sunpaw."

"As am I," Bramblestar agreed, a purr rumbling in his chest. "You have done well, my apprentice. "

"I thought you were going to the Moonpool," Sunpaw breathed. She was still out of breath from her flight from the dog. Blood still roared in her ears, but he sound was beginning to die away. She felt the aches rising in her muscles from all the running she had done and she winced.

Bramblestar nodded. "I was, but then Moleclaw came to Jayfeather and I on our way to the WindClan border saying that he had heard a dog, so we came back."

"It was near the training hollow and I didn't want it to go in and kill anyone… And it was getting closer to camp," Sunpaw whispered. "I… I couldn't let it hurt anyone. I knew it was there and I knew I had to do something."

"You did more than what could have been asked of you," Cinderheart soothed, smoothing her daughter's fur with her tail.

"Yeah, you saved my life! I was in the training hollow and Hazeltail, Cinderheart, Dewpaw and I smelled the dog and then we heard you!" Hollypaw meowed. "That was so awesome! I don't think I would have been brave enough to do that."

Bramblestar dipped his head. "Sunpaw, if you weren't so young, I would make you a warrior for this. However, you still have much to learn even though you will be rewarded for your bravery and your service to the Clan. I am proud of you," he said again.

Sunpaw's pelt grew hot with embarrassment. "Thank you, Bramblestar."

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	14. Chapter 13

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 13_

I'm sorry. I will try to upload more regularly.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Thirteen**

Another moon passed and Sunpaw and her littermates continued to grow and blossom. Sunpaw spent more time training with Bramblestar and focusing on her warriors skills. She wanted to learn as much as she could to be the best warrior she could be.

"Hollypaw, keep your tail tucked in!" Hazeltail called to her apprentice from the sidelines of the training hollow. "If you don't, Sunpaw could dart around and bite it, or pin it down to hold you."

"Sunpaw, keep yours tucked in as well," Bramblestar added. "Your form is good, but remember not to expose your belly too much. Your opponent will see that you're slacking in that area and they'll go for it."

Hazeltail nodded. "Same with you, Hollypaw."

Hollypaw rolled her eyes and crouched low again. Sunpaw mimicked her sister's movements and kept her tail tucked in as she was instructed. Hollypaw's tail stood tall and erect. It twitched once and Hollypaw launched herself off the ground at Sunpaw. Sunpaw reacted quickly and ducked under her, reaching one paw up and ran it along her belly.

An annoyed hiss sounded from the sidelines and Hazeltail stepped forward. "Why would you try that? It might work on a dumber opponent, but a smarter one will do exactly what Sunpaw did and you'll have your guts spilling everywhere!"

Hollypaw rose from her crouch and lashed her tail in annoyance. "I'm sorry, okay? Can I try it again?"

Hazeltail opened her mouth to say something, but Bramblestar stepped up beside her. "Perhaps we should call it a day. The sun is setting and I was hoping to get some hunting done."

"Okay," Hazeltail meowed slowly. Sunpaw could see the reluctance in your eyes, but the gray she-cat tore her eyes away from the two apprentices and turned them to Bramblestar. "Were you thinking along the lines of an assessment?"

Sunpaw's ears pricked up at the word "assessment". Her fur prickled with excitement at the thought of passing and becoming a warrior. She looked at Bramblestar expectantly.

The large brown tabby tom shrugged his shoulders. "If you like," he whispered. "Where would you like them to start?"

Hazeltail's whiskers twitched as she thought. "How about they begin outside the training hollow. We can give them until sunset to hunt as much prey as they can and meet us back here."

Bramblestar nodded. "Sounds good."

The four cats padded out of the training hollow. Sunpaw's paws itched with anticipation to get out and begin her first assessment. _I will not let Bramblestar down,_ she promised silently.

"You may begin," Bramblestar mewed after a second.

Sunpaw wasted no time and bounded off into a clump of ferns. She made her target the familiar Ancient Oak, traveling with her jaws open to taste the air for prey. She padded along, and it was not long until the scent of wood pigeon wafted toward her.

She spotted the bird pecking at something on the forest floor just up the trail. Sunpaw crouched low and did as Bramblestar taught her—keeping her tail slightly elevated so she wouldn't rustle any leaves. She bit her lip in determination to keep her paw steps light as well as quiet.

The pigeon continued its pecking, oblivious to its hunter that was closing in. Sunpaw was less than two tail-lengths away when her own tail swished some leaves left over from the newleaf thaw. The bird's head shot up and its small black eyes looked straight at Sunpaw. She could almost see her reflection in the bird's soulless black eyes.

Without a moment's notice, both the cat and the bird took flight. Sunpaw shot off the ground, claws out-stretched as the wood pigeon fluttered upward on its delicate wings. The birds attempt to escape was futile. Sunpaw brought it back to the ground and gave it the killing bite.

After burying her catch, Sunpaw continued on toward the Ancient Oak. Along the way, she caught a mouse and a vole as well. As she neared the large tree, she tasted the air and picked up the scent of a crow. It was not unusual to smell an occasional crow, but the bird's scent was almost overpowering.

Sunpaw's lips curled back in disgust at the stench. She couldn't seem to detect the scents of any other prey. Moving swiftly and quietly, she began to circle the oak, her ears pricked and mouth open. As she rounded along the other side of the oak that faced ShadowClan territory, she drew back in horror.

Amongst the scent of the crow, she did not detect the smell of rotting flesh. A few tail-lengths away from the gnarled roots of the massive tree, the lifeless body of a cat lay. Seven crows were gathered around the body, some even beginning to pick at the unfortunate cat's entrails. Sunpaw stared in horror at the blood and organs that spilled out from the cat's body. A large wound stretched along the length of its belly as if it had been gutted. Sunpaw shivered as she remembered that she could have performed the same move on Hollypaw earlier if she had wanted to injure her sister.

"RiverClan?" Bramblestar asked, coming up beside her.

Sunpaw jumped and looked at her mentor with an irritated expression. "Bramblestar, great StarClan, you scared me! What do you mean RiverClan?" she asked lashing her tail.

"Can't you smell it? RiverClan scent? The victim must be RiverClan," Bramblestar meowed.

"That victim," a new voice growled. The two cats looked up to see a small patrol of RiverClan cats bounding up toward them from the lakeshore. "Is my mate!" a dark brown RiverClan tom snarled. He rushed up the dead gray-and-white she-cat. "Petalfur…" he whispered, gazing at the dead body longingly. "Oh, Petalfur…" Sunpaw watched sadly as the growl in his voice melted away to a soft whisper as he nuzzled the corpse as if he hoped that she would suddenly open her eyes and return to him.

The gray she-cat that had spoken for RiverClan at the Gathering came forward and stood before Bramblestar. "Do you know why one of my warriors is dead on your territory?" she asked, her voice on the edge of a growl.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes, but otherwise showed no further signs of aggression. "Do you see blood on our paws, Mistystar?"

The RiverClan leader flattened her ears against her head and then narrowed her eyes. "No… but who's to say that it's not a ThunderClan cat committing the murders?"

Sunpaw's eyes widened in disbelief. No ThunderClan cat would ever think about killing another cat so ruthlessly. Bramblestar growled. "A ThunderClan cat could have done this just as easily as a ShadowClan, WindClan, _or_ RiverClan cat! What gives you the right to accuse your birth Clan of murder?"

All of the cats, even the tom who was crouched by his dead mate went silent. Mistystar bared her fangs. "I am a RiverClan cat," she declared simply. "I have no relations what-so-ever toward you forest-dwelling, pheasant-eaters!" she growled.

"And I am a ThunderClan cat, even if my father might have died as a ShadowClan cat. No one questions your loyalty, I just want to know why you're so quick to judge a Clan that has done nothing wrong," Bramblestar said simply.

Mistystar's hackles rose. "I don't care if you're half StarClan!" she snapped. "All I know is that my warrior is dead!"

"You're right—she is dead. Do not forget that ThunderClan has lost warriors too," the ThunderClan leader pointed out.

"No—a warrior."

Bramblestar's neck fur rose. "What exactly are you accusing us of?" he growled.

"I want to know if you're responsible for the murders!" the RiverClan leader spat.

Sunpaw stared at the two Clan leaders. She knew that they could smell her fear scent, but she couldn't control it. She unsheathed her claws, ready to defend Bramblestar if she had to, but she didn't want to harm any RiverClan cats. _We shouldn't be fighting each other!_ Sunpaw thought despairingly. _We should be putting this negative energy toward finding the real killer, not shooting accusations at one another!_

The other RiverClan warriors began to gather around their Clan leader, growling. Sunpaw stared at them wide-eyed but stepped forward to defend her Clan's honor.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	15. Chapter 14

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 14_

Oye vey. I doubt I spelled that correctly. Don't judge.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Fourteen**

"Stop!" a voice yowled from behind Sunpaw. She turned to see Jayfeather rushing toward them. "Stop! Don't fight!"

Bramblestar let his fur lie flat as he looked toward the medicine cat. "Jayfeather," he meowed, relief clear in his voice. "You couldn't have chosen a better timing."

Jayfeather flicked his tail dismissively, but stepped up to Mistystar. "No ThunderClan cat killed your warrior."

Curiosity flashed in the she-cat's eyes but then disappeared. "Then who did, and how do you know?"

Jayfeather sighed exasperatedly. "Hello? Medicine Cat? A part of the Four? Ring a bell? Anyway, that's not the point! StarClan visited me in a dream. I was tired and decided to get some sleep and while I was out, Yellowfang and Bluestar came to me."

Mistystar looked at Jayfeather, her ears drooping. "Bluestar came to you?"

"Yes," Jayfeather replied. "And they told me that the Clans are facing another dark time ahead. Even StarClan, or the Ancients have not foreseen this darkness… They were speaking and all of a sudden, fire rose up all around us. The flames consumed Bluestar and Yellowfang and Firestar appeared. He said that the Clans might have to join together once more to combat this force… He told me that… that…" he trailed off and looked at Sunpaw for a brief moment.

"They gave me another prophecy."

"What was it, Jayfeather?" Bramblestar asked him.

Jayfeather shook his head. "It was the same one as before."

"What did it speak of?" Mistystar pressed, her voice no longer malignant but full of genuine curiosity.

Jayfeather hesitated. "It spoke of… it spoke of a light that would shine on the darkness," he partially lied.

Mistystar sighed. "That doesn't tell us much, I suppose," she murmured. "Well, I guess that we'll get our warrior off your territory… but I wonder how Petalfur got here…"

"Maybe she was lured here," Sunpaw offered, staring at the body with a mixture of sympathy and disgust.

The RiverClan leader sighed once more. "I don't know… Perhaps… Graymist, Minnowtail, Grasspelt, can you three manage carrying Petalfur?"

"I will, Mistystar," the brown tom mewed softly.

The gray leader looked at him with an unsure glaze in her blue eyes. "Are you sure, Hollowflight? Will you manage on your own?"

He nodded. "I would carry her across a thousand deserts, or up to StarClan if she asked me," he meowed. The tom's voice was stricken with grief as he began to haul the dead she-cat onto his shoulders with the help of two other warriors.

Bramblestar sighed and watched the scene unfold as more blood and unmentionables fell from the destroyed body of the warrior. "Come on, let's get back to camp." He turned away, and Sunpaw didn't waste a moment following him.

The three cats padded back in the direction of camp. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Sunpaw," Bramblestar meowed suddenly. "It was a grizzly sight, I know… I am also sorry that you were not able to finish your assessment… Just as well," he meowed, glancing up at the color-strewn sky. "It's sunset anyway. I'll retest you later."

Sunpaw dipped her head. "Okay… Do you think Hollypaw did well?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm sure she did fine," Bramblestar replied. "She'll make a good warrior one day. All of your littermates will. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll be a valuable asset to the Clan as well."

Sunpaw's pelt grew hot with embarrassment once more. "Thank you…"

"If she grows up," Jayfeather muttered.

Bramblestar sighed. "Did you tell her?" he finally asked.

Jayfeather snorted with mock laughter. "No. She overheard our conversation the night Firestar sent me the prophecy."

"Do you think that it's about her?" Bramblestar asked over Sunpaw's head.

Sunpaw let out an irritated hiss. "I'm right here, you know, and I don't enjoy being referred to in the third person!"

Jayfeather shot a slightly amused glance at Sunpaw. "Get used to it, kid."

"Do you think that the prophecy is in fact about you, Sunpaw?" Bramblestar questioned her suddenly.

Sunpaw shrugged. "Well… it… it seems to… I don't know… I mean it makes sense in some parts… But then that one part… the daughter of reincarnations or whatever, that's not true."

Jayfeather shook his head. "No… that part is true too."

The apprentice looked at him. It felt like her stomach had turned to a heavy block of ice in the pit of her belly, dragging her down into a consuming darkness. "What do you mean it's true?!" she demanded, on the edge of hysteria.

"Sunpaw, there is something that you need to understand," Jayfeather meowed. He stopped and turned to face her, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws. "I am a reincarnation of an Ancient cat called Jay's Wing. Lionblaze is a reincarnation of an Ancient cat called Lion's Roar. Cinderheart is a reincarnation the former ThunderClan medicine cat called Cinderpelt… So that part of the prophecy is true. Sunpaw, you are the daughter of reincarnations."

Sunpaw felt her legs weaken. She could feel her body shaking at this revelation. Beside her, even Bramblestar appeared shocked by the medicine cat's words. Sunpaw's breathing became labored. _Sacrifice shall be her meaning._

"Sunpaw?" Jayfeather's voice called from what seemed like a far-off land. Sunpaw's mind swirled with the images of Rosepetal dead at the base of the Ancient Oak and Petalfur lying with her entrails spilled out over the grass with her mate crouched beside her. Suddenly, she had no legs—she was just falling, falling, falling into a black oblivion. She heard cats calling her name, but they seemed so far away now. Her mind went blank, and her body hit the ground with a thud.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	16. Chapter 15

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 15_

More is here. :)

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Fifteen**

Sunpaw woke in a cloudy clearing. Everything seemed drearily white or grayish in color. She sat up and looked around at the misty landscape that looked strangely like ThunderClan territory. "Hello?" she called.

As she pulled herself to her paws, she could smell her own fear-scent. Looking around carefully, she took a few paw steps forward, unsure where she was planning on going exactly. "Is anyone there?" she tried again.

"I'm here," a tom's voice meowed simply.

Sunpaw gasped and whipped around, searching the clearing with wide, terrified eyes. "Who are you?! _Where_ are you?!"

A ginger tomcat padded out from behind a clump of ferns. "Hello, Sunpaw," he meowed. His voice showed no emotion, but his green eyes had a kind look in them. "Please, sit."

"How do you know my name?" Sunpaw demanded, unsheathing her claws. Her fur bristled with fear as the ginger tom continued to approach her.

Seeing her claws, he let out a purr of laughter. "Put your claws away, young one," he told her. "You have nothing to fear. You are in StarClan's hunting grounds. I am Firestar—the ThunderClan leader before Bramblestar."

Sunpaw's eyes widened even more. "You're Firestar?!" she gasped. She was going to ask more questions, but then a thought suddenly dawned on her. "Wait, if I'm in StarClan… doesn't that mean I'm dead?"

Firestar shook his head. "Not always. In this case, I summoned you here. You are not dead, your body is still in ThunderClan territory and currently in the ThunderClan medicine cat den being watched over by Jayfeather. You will return soon, but I had to speak with you before anything else happened."

"Why?" Sunpaw couldn't stop herself from asking.

The ginger tom gazed at her thoughtfully. "Because I needed to tell you that you are not along, young one. You never will be along. StarClan will be there fighting alongside you every step of the way in the prophecy. This was the mistake I made with your father, Jayfeather and Dovewing. I let them feel like thy were along… Maybe conditions were different then, but they needed closure and now, so do you."

"So, you know the meaning of the prophecy?" Sunpaw asked hopefully.

Firestar gave her a kind smile and rested his muzzle on her forehead. "No, young one. I'm sorry, but I can't say that I do. StarClan receives the prophecies and just pass them along. We do our best to interpret them, but in the end, it is up to the cat in the prophecy itself to decipher it."

Sunpaw looked down. "Oh, I was hoping you knew."

Firestar chuckled. "I felt the same way when I was about your age and given a prophecy of my own… but at the same time I wish that you would not have learned about it at such an early age… Still, I fear that you will need to fulfill the prophecy earlier than we had hoped. The murders are escalating."

"Do you know who the killer is?" Sunpaw asked, but Firestar had already begun to fade.

"I am sorry, but my time is up," Firestar sighed. "Remember, Sunpaw: you are not alone."

"Firestar!" Sunpaw yowled, but the vision was gone.

Sunpaw woke with a jolt in the medicine cat den. Jayfeather stood nearby, sorting herbs. He must have heard her sit up, for he came over to her. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"Yes," Sunpaw whispered. "I saw Firestar."

Jayfeather's ears pricked up. "What did he say?" he inquired in a whisper.

Sunpaw was very surprised that Jayfeather even believed her. If Sunpaw had heard one of her Clan-mates, even her sister, say that they had spoken to Firestar, she would think that they were crazy. _Jayfeather talks to dead cats all the time,_ Sunpaw reminded herself, and then she suddenly got an idea.

"Jayfeather!" she gasped.

"What?" he growled. He was obviously irritated, but Sunpaw's epiphany was too great for his attitude to dampen her mood.

"Jayfeather, you can speak to StarClan when you go to the Moonpool, right?" Sunpaw asked.

Jayfeather seemed to be taken aback by the question, but nodded. "Yes… Why do you ask?"

"Well, why don't you find the cats that were killed and ask the if they remember their murderer?" Sunpaw asked, feeling very proud of herself for thinking of it.

The medicine cat was quiet for a moment and then he looked at her as if he could see her. "Sunpaw… that's actually not a bad idea."

"You could talk to Rosepetal and Petalfur, and all the other victims! We might be able to solve this mystery once and for all!" Sunpaw purred.

Jayfeather's lips curled at the edges. Sunpaw decided to call that a smile even though it was very faint. "The half-moon is coming up in a few days—I'll look for those cats while I'm there."

"Should we tell Bramblestar?" Sunpaw asked.

Jayfeather nodded. "I'll tell him later. Right now, I want to make sure you're alright." He rested his tail on her forehead. "Do you feel chilled?"

"No," Sunpaw meowed impatiently. "No headache, no sick-stomach, no fever, no—"

"Would you let me do my StarClan-darned job?" Jayfeather hissed with annoyance. He continued to question her and Sunpaw just kept answering no to everything.

Jayfeather let out a hiss. "Fine, smart-aleck," he muttered. "Here," he said, turning around and picking up a small clump of leaves at her paws. "It's feverfew. It will help fend off any fever you might be at risk of getting."

Sunpaw sighed exasperatedly, but ate the herb to humor him. After gulping down the bitter leaves, she pulled herself to her paws. "Can I go now? I want to see how Hollypaw did on her assessment?"

Jayfeather flicked his tail dismissively and Sunpaw bounded out of the medicine cat den, only to run into Lightfoot who was padding in the opposite direction. "Oomph! Watch where you're—" the gray patched she-cat stopped in mid-sentence. "Sunpaw! Are you alright? I heard about what happened!"

"Yeah, did you really faint?" Finchpaw asked padding over as well.

Sunpaw's pelt bristled with embarrassment. "I didn't faint! I just… fell asleep on my paws!"

Finchpaw stifled a purr of laughter. "Whatever you say," he muttered before bounding off laughing.

Sunpaw bared her teeth at her fleeing brother. Lightfoot sighed and rested her tail on Sunpaw's shoulder. "Ignore him," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder.

"Where's Hollypaw?"

"In the apprentices' den," Lightfoot replied.

Sunpaw nodded and bounded off toward the den ignoring Lightfoot's calls behind her. "Hollypaw?" she called, pulling herself inside.

Her sister sat in the back of the den and looked up from grooming herself. "Hey, Sunpaw," she sighed sadly.

Sunpaw looked at her fearfully. _What's wrong with her? Hollypaw isn't usually like this…_ She padded over and sat beside her sister. "What's wrong?"

Hollypaw hissed suddenly. "I'm sorry, Sunpaw! I know that you just woke up and everything, but… but Hazeltail wasn't impressed with my assessment. She said I did horribly."

"It can't be that bad," Sunpaw soothed. "What could you do so badly to earn that remark? Chase a squirrel into WindClan territory and run right into Onestar?"

Hollypaw shook her head. "Sunpaw… I… I never told you this, but you know those tunnels that Bramblestar and Hazeltail warned us about?"

"Yeah," Sunpaw meowed carefully. _Hollypaw wasn't exploring the tunnels during her assessment, was she?_

"Well… well… Oh, Sunpaw! I hope you won't be too angry but… but I was seeing a WindClan cat this past moon and a half…His name is Rabbitpaw. I went exploring one day and I met him in the tunnels, and… and I kind of like him… I know it's stupid! He's WindClan, I know, but… but he's different. There's just this… quality about him that makes him so… I don't know… I don't know what I feel!" Hollypaw said sadly.

Sunpaw stared at her sister in astonishment. Was Hollypaw really falling for a WindClan badger-brain? "Okay, but what does this Rabbitpaw have to do with your assessment?"

Hollypaw looked at her. For the first time, Sunpaw saw a mixture of emotions clouding her sister's eyes—pain, anger, confusion, and something else: love. "I was hunting near a tunnel entrance and he came out and started talking to me. Hazeltail came out and demanded to know what was going on and… and Rabbitpaw just deserted me there! Hazeltail is talking to Bramblestar about it now… I didn't catch anything—I missed a thrush _and_ a swallow because I was so distracted… Sunpaw, what if Bramblestar decides to never make me a warrior?"

Sunpaw licked her sister's ear reassuringly. "Don't worry. Bramblestar will make you a warrior eventually… but, Hollypaw… you need to stop seeing Rabbitpaw. The two of you are only going to get hurt, and… and it's already caused more problems than its solved."

Her sister nodded in agreement. "I know it has… I just… I don't know why I did it—I knew that it was wrong—I just couldn't… help it, you know?"

She didn't know, but all the same, Sunpaw nodded sympathetically. Sunpaw sat with her sister until Hazeltail called her out to speak with Bramblestar about what had happened, leaving Sunpaw alone. As she was left to gather her thoughts, she began to think about her own romantic future. _Is romance even in my future anymore? Could I ever take a mate with the prophecy always hovering over my head? Could I bring kits into the world knowing that I would have to be a sacrifice? Could I deal with allowing my kits to watch their mother die because it's her destiny? Would any tom even want me with this stupid prophecy?_

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and LET ME KNOW if you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more! :D


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"That's it! Well done, Sunpaw!" Bramblestar praised. Sunpaw had the younger Dewpaw pinned to the ground beneath her. While Sunpaw radiated with triumph, her victim squirmed. Sunpaw just pressed the gray tom farther into the forest floor.

"Get off me you stupid furball!" Dewpaw hissed with annoyance.

She giggled, but let him up. The flustered tomcat pulled himself to his paws and shook out his pelt. "I could've beaten you. I wasn't expecting you to dive under me like that, though," he muttered.

Sunpaw let out a purr of laughter before padding over to Bramblestar. The tabby tom was beaming at her as she approached. "Sunpaw, that was a perfect move! Well done."

"Thanks," Sunpaw purred, and then turned around to face Dewpaw who sat a few tail-lengths away now. He glared at her, making her giggle madly. "Don't pout. Want to fight again?"

He bared his teeth playfully and flexed his claws. "I'll shred you!"

Sunpaw stifled another purr of laughter. "Just like you have the last four times? I've sent you to the dirt each time, and I'll do it again!"

Dewpaw shot her a glare, then looked at his paws almost sheepishly. "You're really good, Sunpaw," he whispered.

Her pelt grew hot with embarrassment once more and she looked at the ground too. "Thank you, Dewpaw," she purred. Sunpaw then returned her gaze to Dewpaw. They locked eyes for a brief moment and Sunpaw's heart skipped a beat, but then she looked away. Why did Dewpaw make her feel this way? It felt like she had a thousand butterflies fluttering around her belly. _Is this how Hollypaw felt?_ she wondered boldly, but then pushed the thought away, wincing.

Hollypaw's training had come to an abrupt halt after Bramblestar learned of her meetings with Rabbitpaw. Her sister was now banned from training with the other apprentices for the next moon, not to mention she was in charge of cleaning out all the dens, and assisting Jayfeather whenever he needed help.

Cinderheart stepped forward and looked back and forth between the two apprentices, mischief sparkling in her blue eyes. She must've seen the exchange. Sunpaw looked away, too embarrassed to look at any of the others. "Perhaps that's enough training for today," she meowed thoughtfully. "Dewpaw, you'll want to get your rest for the Gathering tonight."

Sunpaw's ears pricked up and looked at the others, all embarrassment forgotten. Dewpaw was looking at the ThunderClan leader expectantly. "Are Cinderheart and I going, Bramblestar?" he inquired.

Bramblestar dipped his head. "Dewpaw, you as well as Stonepaw and Finchpaw will be the apprentices attending tonight."

Sunpaw puffed out her fur and stepped closer to her mentor. "What about me?" she piped up. She wondered if Bramblestar would let her go as well since he was her mentor. She also wanted to learn what the other Clans had to say about the past moon and the murders. _I should get to go!_ she thought almost indignantly, but then regretted her selfishness.

"You'll stay here tonight," her mentor told her. He must have seen her disappointment, for her rested his tail-tip on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Sunpaw. You'll go again soon; you can't attend every Gathering... Besides, I like to give every cat a chance to go."

Sunpaw nodded grimly. "I guess that's fair," she muttered almost grudgingly. Bramblestar padded away in the direction of camp and Sunpaw plodded after him, not daring to look at Dewpaw.

Sunpaw and Hollypaw were sharking tongues inside the apprentices' den when Finchpaw came galloping in. "That was the best Gathering ever!" he declared.

Sunpaw sat up from grooming her sister's tail. Some light shone into the den around the three apprentices that were returning. The moon cast a ghostly light over anything it touched, coating it in silver. "What happened?" Sunpaw inquired curiously.

"Mistystar started with the murder of that RiverClan cat that was killed near the Ancient Oak, and then this one fish-face named Hollowflight started accusing ThunderClan warriors of being the murderers!" Finchpaw hissed, flexing his claws hotly.

Amberpaw and Snowpaw stood up on the opposite side of the den from Sunpaw and Hollypaw. "But a ThunderClan cat was killed too," Amberpaw pointed out.

"I know!" Dewpaw growled. "I could've shredded those lying fox-hearts!"

Sunpaw heart swelled as she looked at Dewpaw. He didn't look like a small, gangly apprentice anymore. His shape had seemed to fill out since he had been made an apprentice. He had become more muscular, and his shoulders grew broader. He looked like a warrior. Under the moonlight, he looked more like a white tabby than a gray one. His blue eyes shone in the partial darkness of the den, and suddenly, his eyes locked with hers. Sunpaw held his gaze for a brief moment before looking away self-consciously.

"I wished that you were there, Sunpaw," Dewpaw admitted suddenly. Sunpaw looked back up, sucking in a breath. _He wanted me there…_ she thought dreamily. "You could've shredded him better than I could've," he continued quietly.

Sunpaw nodded and looked at her paws almost sadly. _He just wanted me to hurt that RiverClan cat,_ she thought gloomily. _What am I doing? The prophecy doesn't even give me enough room for a mate… Dewpaw wouldn't be interested in me anyway._

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Sunpaw woke the next morning the sounds of battle. "Wake up, Sunpaw!" a voice hissed in her ear. Sunpaw blinked open her eyes to see Dewpaw standing beside her. "RiverClan is attacking us!"

It took a moment to register Dewpaw's words, but once she made sense of them, she was on her paws and rushing out into the camp. She saw a sea of cats hissing, growling, clawing at, and biting one another. Nearby, Sunpaw spotted Lionblaze wrestling with the RiverClan deputy, Mintfur. "Get out of my camp you pathetic excuse for a warrior!" Lionblaze snarled, bringing his paw down on the head of his opponent.

Sunpaw turned away from that fight and spotted Hollypaw grappling with another apprentice. She rushed to defend her sister and jumped onto the back of her assaulter. The apprentice yowled in surprise, but quickly crumpled under Sunpaw's weight. While Sunpaw dug her claws into the apprentice's back, Hollypaw clawed at its muzzle.

The apprentice squirmed, and Sunpaw loosened her grip, allowing the apprentice to flee out the bramble barrier. As the RiverClan apprentice disappeared, Hollypaw locked eyes with her sister and smiled. Sunpaw returned it before turning around and plunging back into the heat of the battle.

She ended up colliding with a brown tabby tom who hissed in disgust. Sunpaw recognized him instantly as Petalfur's mate—Hollowflight. "You!" he spat. Without warning, he raked his claws across her cheek, sending Sunpaw collapsing to the ground. She tasted blood and spat out the crimson liquid. She struggled to get up, but Hollowflight dug his claws into her shoulder blades. "Stay down, pheasant-eater," he growled. "Or else, I'll make sure you'll never get up!"

"I didn't kill your mate you lousy excuse for a warrior! Now let me go, or you'll be the one to pay!" Sunpaw spat with pure fury. A part of her told her to be afraid, but another part was furious and wanted to tear the tom apart.

He growled and dug his claws into her flesh even further. "You're in no position to making threats. You're pretty bold for a cat your size—bold and disrespectful. I think that you need to be taught a lesson you won't soon forget!" he growled.

Suddenly, he rolled her over onto her back and began to rake her belly with his paws. Sunpaw yowled in pain and battered his face with his paws. Hollowflight hissed and backed off, waving his front paws in an effort to snag her pelt. Sunpaw reacted quickly and sank her teeth into his left foreleg. He yowled in surprise and raked the claws of his free front paw across her muzzle.

Blood filled her nose and mouth. Sunpaw shook her head and backed up. Her vision turned red as she struggled to blink the blood from her eyes. She regained her vision just in time to see him coming at her again. Hollowflight ducked low as if he was going to dive under her. Bracing herself, Sunpaw launched herself off the ground and went flying through the air, somehow avoided the RiverClan tom's swipes.

Sunpaw landed with a soft thud and whipped around. Hollowflight was climbing to his paws when he was blindsided by Cloudtail. The white warrior pinned him to the ground almost effortlessly using brute force. "Threaten my Clan-mate like that again, and I won't be letting you go," Cloudtail warned as he moved to let the RiverClan tom up.

Hollowflight got to his paws and glared at Sunpaw for a moment before turning and running toward the bramble barrier. By now, most of the RiverClan cats had been driven out of the ThunderClan camp. Only Mistystar and a few RiverClan warriors remained, their backs facing the bramble barrier and their neck furs bristling as the ThunderClan cats closed in.

"Mistystar, this attack was completely unprovoked!" Bramblestar snarled. Sunpaw noticed that he had scratches on his broad shoulders and a cut in his ear. "Take your wounded and leave. If we find anymore RiverClan cats on our territory, we will see that as a threat, and you will find yourself in the middle of a war!"

The RiverClan leader's lips curled back in a snarl. "I want justice for my dead son! Reedwhisker didn't just drop dead!"

"And a ThunderClan cat didn't kill him either!" Squirrelflight spat. "I knew that you RiverClan cats were as smart as fish, I just didn't know that fish were so stupid!"

Sunpaw heard a few chuckles from the ThunderClan cats, but the RiverClan cats just hissed. "This is not over," Mistystar warned.

"Oh, believe me, it is," Bramblestar replied. "Now get out of my territory!"

Mistystar glared and turned around. She slipped out of the camp under the bramble barrier. Her warriors followed and soon, the ThunderClan cats were alone.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	19. Chapter 18

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 18_

I don't own Warriors. Sorry.

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**Chapter Eighteen**

Bramblestar turned around and looked over the cats. "All the seriously injured cats go to Jayfeather's den immediately! The rest of you, start helping to repair the bramble barrier. I want that just as strong as it was before. We might have a war with RiverClan in our future, but we must fight to defend our honor. No ThunderClan cat is a murderer!"

Yowls of approval came from the surrounding cats, and Sunpaw joined in. Lionblaze was wrong about Bramblestar. He was a good leader.

"Sunpaw!" a voice gasped. She turned to see Cinderheart rushing toward her. "Oh, my precious kit! Are you alright?" she demanded, licking her ear worriedly.

Jayfeather padded over, snorting. "Calm down, Cinderheart. Great StarClan, you're starting to sound like Millie and Daisy combined!" he chuckled. "Come to my den, Sunpaw."

Sunpaw just stared at him for a moment. "I'm not badly injured though," she mewed quietly.

"Yes you are. You're one of the worst ones," Jayfeather replied. "Come on. I'll fix you up." He turned around without another word and flicked his tail for her to follow. Sighing, Sunpaw followed him to the medicine cat den on the other side of the camp.

Jayfeather entered without hesitation, but it took Sunpaw longer. The scent of herbs and blood hit her like a sledgehammer as she stood in the entrance. The den was relatively dark and saw a few cats already gathered in the shadows. Sunpaw recognized Spiderleg, Toadstep, Mousewhisker and Ivypool.

"Fox-hearted RiverClan," Mousewhisker muttered.

"I know, right?" Spiderleg replied.

Sunpaw couldn't make out their injuries, but she could smell the blood. "Come in, Sunpaw. Don't be shy," Jayfeather meowed. Sunpaw stepped inside and saw the gray-furred medicine cat nearby sorting through a bunch of different leaves and flowers.

He turned around and padded toward her, chewing something. With one paw, he delicately cleaned up her wounds with cobwebs, and then spat the poultice he'd chewed onto her wounds. When Sunpaw recoiled as his saliva hit her fur, Jayfeather tried to soothe her. "Don't worry—it's a marigold poultice. You won't regret it; it'll keep out any infection. Jayfeather did this with her shoulders, belly and face. "I think you should stay in my den tonight so I can keep an eye on that wound on your face to make sure you don't reopen it," he mewed half to himself.

She sighed exasperatedly, but nodded. "Can I go get something from the fresh-kill pile?" she asked.

Jayfeather turned around back toward the herb storage, flicking his tail dismissively for her to leave. Without waiting a moment, Sunpaw turned around and returned to the camp. She saw Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Cloudtail and Lionblaze already beginning to work on repairing the barrier. Stonepaw and Finchpaw sat outside the apprentices' den, licking each other's wounds while Hollypaw sat next to Snowpaw. The two she-cats were sharing tongues and murmuring to one another in hushed voices.

"Sunpaw! Great StarClan, are you alright?" Lightfoot demanded, bounding up to her. Sunpaw noticed that a v-shape had been cut in her left ear, and a long scratch along her right flank.

"I'm fine," she answered. "Are you? That cut in your ear looks pretty nasty."

Lightfoot shrugged. "I've had worse, truthfully."

"Hey, want to share a starling?" Sunpaw inquired, spying the bird that lay on top of the fresh-kill pile.

Lightfoot sighed remorsefully. "I can't. Bramblestar assigned me to lead a patrol along the WindClan border. Sorreltail is taking another along ShadowClan. He wants to make sure that RiverClan has gone back to their territory without making an pit-stops along the way."

Sunpaw nodded, agreeing with Bramblestar's idea. "Well, good luck. If you see any RiverClan warriors, be sure to show them the way to the border."

Lightfoot's eyes brightened a little. "Don't worry. I will."

As her friend padded off to the warriors' den, Sunpaw padded to the fresh-kill pile and picked up the starling. "Would you mind sharing that?" a tom's voice asked from behind her. Sunpaw turned to see Dewpaw standing there. She could have dropped the prey at that moment.

"Um, sure," she replied with a mouthful of feathers. She looked down, embarrassed, but Dewpaw just padded off toward the apprentices' den and sat down. Sunpaw sat beside him and dropped the starling, trying to look over his body furtively. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt badly?" she asked, trying to remain casual.

He shook his head. "Not really. I fought alongside Stonepaw most of the time," he said, shifting so he was lying down. Sunpaw did the same and watched as he took a bite of the starling. "You got it worse than I did," he observed.

Sunpaw nodded. "Remember that cat that you said accused ThunderClan of the murders at the Gathering?" she asked.

Dewpaw gulped down the meat and nodded. "Yeah? Wait… did he do that to you?!"

She nodded, feeling almost happy that he seemed outraged. Dewpaw growled. "If I see that son of a badger again, I'll rip his ears off!"

Sunpaw would have blushed if she could've. She bit into the thrush and chewed slowly, savoring its taste. She then looked at Dewpaw and smiled slightly, enjoying that the two of them lay only a mouse-length apart.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	20. Chapter 19

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 19_

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Nineteen**

Another moon passed and Sunpaw's injuries healed quickly. She continued her training with her littermates, and soon, Hollypaw rejoined them. Sunpaw could tell that they were nearing the end of their training as apprentices. All four of the young cats had blossomed into great warriors. At night, she dreamed about Dewpaw and what her warrior name would be. The prophecy seemed to now be a memory. The murders began to fade away as the killer hadn't committed another murder in the past moon. RiverClan didn't show their sorry faces again, and life went on as normal.

Sunpaw woke up one morning to find herself alone in the den. Pulling herself to her paws, she quickly exited the den, memories of the battle with RiverClan fresh in her mind, but saw Clan life going along as usual outside. Millie and Graystripe were outside the nursery, sharing tongues, Leafpool and Squirrelflight were sharing a pigeon outside the warriors' den, and Jayfeather was checking over Spiderleg's injuries outside the medicine cat den. Spiderleg's injuries had become infected after the battle, and Spiderleg's age was not helping.

She padded toward them curiously and was able to overhear Jayfeather. "Perhaps it's time you move into the elders' den, Spiderleg," he suggested.

The black warrior shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… I've thought about it."

As Sunpaw got closer, she noticed the graying fur around his eyes and muzzle. _He'd be moving to the elders' den soon anyway,_ she observed.

Jayfeather must have heard her approach. He addressed her without looking up from the wound on Spiderleg's shoulder. "Hello, Sunpaw. What do you need?"

"That's it? 'What do you need'?" Spiderleg asked, almost appalled. "Have you grown mellow in your old age, Jayfeather?" he teased.

"If I'm old then you should be dead smart aleck," the medicine cat muttered.

"I remember when you told Dustpelt that you were here to heal and that he should go to the nursery if he wanted sympathy," Spiderleg recalled, purring with laughter at the memory.

Jayfeather's whiskers twitched in amusement, but he otherwise did not acknowledge Spiderleg's comment. "Take it easy, and I suggest that you speak with Bramblestar about retiring."

As the black warrior limped off back toward the warriors' den, Sunpaw stepped closer to Jayfeather. "Do you know where the others are?"

"Do I look like I could see them if they were around?" he muttered.

Sunpaw flinched slightly, but pushed it away. She knew it was Jayfeather's nature to snap. "I was just wondering…"

"Dovewing would be a better cat to ask," Jayfeather answered. "But I think that Bramblestar is in his den."

"Thanks," she meowed. Sunpaw bounded over to Highledge and began to climb up the boulders that led to Bramblestar's den. The leader's den was located at the very top of Highledge in the back, shielded from view from the ledge itself the projected forward almost like a promontory, but over the camp. She could hear voices murmuring inside the darkness of the den, and hesitated outside for a moment. "Bramblestar?" she called.

The voices went silent. "Come in," the Clan leader's voice called calmly. Sunpaw entered the den to see Bramblestar lying nonchalantly in his nest. Across from him sat Lionblaze. The golden warrior purred when he saw his daughter.

"Hello Sunpaw," he meowed giving her a warm look.

"Hello," she answered before turning her attention to Bramblestar. "Is there anything you want me to do?"

The ThunderClan leader nodded. "Yes. I was going to come and get you, but Lionblaze insisted on speaking to me. If you'll wait outside of camp near the bramble barrier, I'll be down to meet you soon. Today, I'm going to give you your final assessment."

Excitement rushed through Sunpaw as she nodded and quickly left the den. Adrenaline pumped through her body and she descended Highledge rapidly. _This is it!_ she thought excitedly. _By the end of the day, I could be a warrior!_

"Alright, I want you to begin here and hunt around the territory. I want you to continue until I approach you and say that it is over. Do your best, and don't be nervous. Keep in mind, though, I will be watching you and assessing you. You won't know I'm there, but I'll have my eye on you," Bramblestar meowed once he came to meet her.

Sunpaw dipped her head and turned around from him. Her heart pounded in her chest so loudly, she was sure that Bramblestar could hear it. _Relax,_ she told herself. _Bramblestar said not to be nervous. You'll do fine._ Despite her own thoughts, anxiety clawed at her stomach.

She opened her mouth to taste the air and scented a vole nearby. She crouched low and finally spotted the small creature scurrying about along the forest floor. Her tail twitched once and then she leaped. The vole didn't know what hit it when Sunpaw landed on it. She bit its neck, ending its life and buried it for later.

Sunpaw continued to hunt throughout the territory, heading to the Ancient Oak, and then along the lakeshore toward the WindClan border. She caught another vole, two mice, a starling and was stalking a squirrel in the patch of woods near the WindClan border, when an unusual scent hit her nose.

She looked up and pricked her ears. The sound of rustling in the undergrowth scent the squirrel disappearing up a tree, leaving Sunpaw alone and irritated. She scanned the bushes for signs of another cat but saw nothing. Sunpaw crept forward and snuck underneath an elderberry bush.

Once she was out of sight, she waited for a little bit, before she heard voices. "Is she gone?" an unfamiliar voice asked—a she-cat's.

"I think so," a tom's voice replied. A ginger tom emerged from under a holly bush and a black-and-white she-cat followed him. Sunpaw watched as another cat emerged from the hiding spot, and she resisted the urge to gasp in horror. Stonepaw shook out his pelt and looked at the ginger tom expectantly.

The tom rounded on him. "I thought you said this part of the territory was for the most part deserted! Why was that she-cat here?"

Stonepaw gulped. "She was just hunting… She's my sister."

"Sister or not, you might have to kill her one day!" the she-cat snarled. "Do you believe in the new code? Are you willing to kill for it?"

Sunpaw stared at her brother in disbelief as he nodded. "I would do anything to protect the code! The warrior code is for soft-foots. The New Code is for true warriors! FireClan will dominate and enslave the other Clans. We will be the supreme rulers!"

The ginger tom purred. "Good. I always knew that you would be a true warrior, Stonepaw. Come on, we must hurry to meet up with the others!" he meowed.

The three cats disappeared back into the bushes, and Sunpaw emerged from her hiding spot, feeling numb. Somehow, she knew that those cats were the murderers… and her brother was involved with them. "Sunpaw," Bramblestar's voice came from further down the trail.

Sunpaw turned as Bramblestar approached her slowly. "I heard voices, is everything okay?" he inquired curiously.

"You didn't see them?" Sunpaw asked. She feared for her brother's safety—even if he was associated with those cats, he was still her brother.

"No. Did you?" he asked. Worry flashed across his amber eyes. "Did you hear what they were saying? I heard voices, but couldn't make them out."

She thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes… Two rogues—a tom and a she-cat—were here, but they left. They said they were going to go meet up with others… I think that they're the murderers… They were saying something about a New Code."

Bramblestar's eyes clouded with worry. "Hmm… I'll send a patrol out to keep tabs on this part of the territory… and I'll share this information with the others at the Gathering. Come on, Sunpaw," he meowed, flicking his tail further down the trail. "You did well on your assessment," he commented as Sunpaw padded alongside him. "I think it's time you and your littermates were made warriors."

"Even Hollypaw?" Sunpaw inquired hopefully.

He didn't look at her, just focused on the trail ahead. "I'll speak with Hazeltail. If she sees her as worthy, I will make her one."

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	21. Chapter 20

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 20_

Things get real. XD

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Twenty**

Sunpaw waited inside the apprentices' den while Bramblestar questioned the other mentors about her littermates' assessments. She couldn't get Stonepaw's conversation with the rogues out of her mind. Hollypaw tried to console her, thinking that she was worried about the assessment. Sunpaw longed to tell her sister what was truly bothering her, but she couldn't betray Stonepaw like that. When he returned, she planned to confront him and ask him questions, but she could only think of one question: Why?

The sound of paw steps made her raise her head hopefully. She expected to see the gray pelt of her brother entering the den, but instead it was Dewpaw. For the first time in her life, she wasn't happy to see him. Dewpaw sat down in his nest and licked his forepaw. "I heard you did good on your assessment, Sunpaw," he meowed casually.

"I'm worried," she lied. Sunpaw knew that she did fine on her assessment—she had caught more than enough prey and Bramblestar even confirmed that she was ready to become a warrior.

"Don't be," Dewpaw answered. "You'll do fine. I saw all the fresh-kill on the pile—you guys probably have fed the Clan for the next moon."

"That's an exaggeration," Sunpaw answered, resting her head on her paws.

"Maybe," Dewpaw allowed. "But it was still a good hunt. Don't worry—you're the best apprentice."

Sunpaw didn't have enough room to be embarrassed by his complement. She just forced out a purr and kept her eyes on the den entrance, hoping that Stonepaw would enter. He didn't.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar yowled.

"Come on! Let's go!" Hollypaw purred, rushing out of the den, not waiting for her sister.

Sunpaw reluctantly pulled herself to her paws. She headed toward the entrance, but Dewpaw cut her off. It was just the two of them in the den now. "Sunpaw… we won't be seeing much of each other anymore, so I need to tell you this… I've always found you extremely attractive and I hope that you don't forget about me!" he blurted out.

She stared at him in shock. She couldn't believe it. She could not believe that he'd just confessed that to her. _I'm dreaming,_ she thought suddenly. _Yeah, that's it: I'm dreaming. Stonepaw isn't conspiring against the Clans with a group of rogues and Dewpaw is not confessing his feelings for me._

Dewpaw took advantage of her silence and pressed his muzzle to hers softly. Sunpaw began to tremble. She felt light-headed and weak-in-the-knees at his touch. "I need to go," she whispered breathlessly.

He pulled away and nodded. "Good luck, Sunpaw," he whispered. Dewpaw stepped aside and allowed her to leave the den.

Sunpaw bounded out of the den and went to sit beside Hollypaw. Memories of her apprentice naming ceremony that occurred in the rain flashed back to her and she couldn't suppress a smile. Next to Hollypaw sat her brother, Finchpaw, and at the end, Sunpaw recognized that mouse-gray pelt…

"It is a great day when apprentices are named warriors. These four cats who sit before me have proved themselves to be loyal, brave warriors. Every one of them has proved themselves, and even though the road to this moment has been rocky and difficult, they have reached this moment. And with that being said, I am proud to name them warriors!" Bramblestar yowled.

"I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices! They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I offer them up to you as warriors in their turn!"

Sunpaw looked furtively at Stonepaw at the other end. Did he still believe in the warrior code? Or did this "New Code" outrank it in his mind. Could what he said to those rogues be true? Did he really believe that?

"Thornclaw, has Stonepaw completed his training?" Bramblestar asked the bracken-colored warrior.

Thornclaw dipped his head. "He has."

"Good. Stonepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?" Bramblestar asked.

Sunpaw sucked in an uneasy breath. She feared her brother's answer. "I do," he said proudly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Stonepaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Stoneclaw, and I welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar yowled, he then turned to Finchpaw. "Bumblestripe, has Finchpaw completed his training."

"He has," the warrior replied.

"Very well. Finchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?" Bramblestar questioned him.

Her brother nodded. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Finchpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Finchtail, and I welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Finchtail dipped his head, and Bramblestar then turned his attention to Hollypaw who sat beside Sunpaw. Her sister fidgeted impatiently as he addressed her mentor. "Hazeltail, has Hollypaw completed her apprentice training?"

There was a moment of silence before the she-cat responded. "She has, Bramblestar," Hazeltail finally meowed.

Sunpaw heard her sister let out a sigh of relief. "If you say so. Hollypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Hollypaw answered him enthusiastically.

Bramblestar's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name! Hollypaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Hollyflight, and I welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!"

Sunpaw let out an unsteady breath as Bramblestar turned to her. "Sunpaw, as your mentor, I can proudly say that you have completed your apprentice training. So I ask you, my apprentice, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"

She gulped. "I do," she responded firmly.

Sunpaw thought she saw Bramblestar smile. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sunpaw, from this moment onward, you shall be known as Sunblaze, and I welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!"

_Sunblaze!_ she thought excitedly. _Just like Lionblaze!_

"ThunderClan, I give you your four newest warriors! Stoneclaw! Finchtail! Hollyflight! Sunblaze!" Bramblestar yowled.

The rest of the Clan joined in to chant their new names. Sunblaze could hear Dewpaw cheering the loudest whenever it came to her name. She looked at her paws sheepishly. She was a warrior of ThunderClan!

"Intruders!" a voice yowled. Sunblaze recognized it as Toadstep's. All of the cats turned to see cats bursting out of the bramble barrier, claws unsheathed and teeth bared.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	22. Chapter 21

_The Renaissance - Book 1: Rising Sun - Chapter 21_

Well she-cats and toms, this is it. The final chapter. Book 2 prologue will be up soon.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Twenty-One**

Sunblaze gasped as recognized the ginger tom and the black-and-white she-cat who Stonepaw—Stoneclaw—had been talking to earlier.

"ThunderClan, attack!" Bramblestar yowled, charging down Highledge. ThunderClan cats plunged into battle against the rogues. Sunblaze stood there, her gaze raking the crowd for Stoneclaw. She finally spotted her brother's gray pelt slinking into the medicine cat den.

_Jayfeather!_ Sunblaze thought anxiously. She pelted across the clearing toward the medicine cat den. Stoneclaw couldn't be trusted whether he was her brother or not. _I should have told Bramblestar!_ she thought despairingly.

Sunblaze was suddenly blindsided by another cat. She hit the ground and rolled once from the impact. She rolled onto her belly and saw the white-and-black she-cat coming at her, claws unsheathed. Sunblaze put up her paws for defense, but it was a weak attempt. The she-cat dug her claws into Sunblaze's flank.

She yowled in pain and claws at the she-cats shoulder and chest. Sunblaze got a grim satisfaction as her claws sliced through the she-cat's flesh, splattering blood on the ground. The she-cat reeled back in pain, allowing Sunblaze to get to her paws. She rounded on the she-cat and lunged, dropping low and ducking underneath her. The she-cat jumped, but not high enough to avoid Sunblaze's claws as she raked them across the she-cat's belly.

The she-cat yowled in pain and recoiled away from her. This gave Sunblaze just enough time to sneak away to the medicine cat's den. "Jayfeather!" she yowled as she entered. The blind medicine cat was backed into a corner, his neck fur bristling and teeth bared. Stoneclaw had him cornered. Her brother's claws were unsheathed and his teeth were bared. When he heard her, he turned around to face her. His blue eyes were blazing with hatred. "Stay out of this, Sunpaw!"

"It's Sunblaze now," she replied in a growl. "Get away from Jayfeather! I know that you're with them! You're a traitor! You betrayed ThunderClan… You betrayed me!" she hissed.

He looked at her with pure fury. "You don't understand! You always got the best treatment! You got the best mentor! You got Lionblaze and Cinderheart's attention! You got it easy! You're a hero! You saved the Clan! You know about the murders! _You're a mouse-brained fool_! You're weak because you follow that stupid warrior code! A true warrior—"

"A true warrior does not attack the defenseless!" Sunblaze cut him off, lashing her tail at Jayfeather.

The medicine cat hissed. "Who are you calling defenseless?!"

Sunblaze ignored him. "A true warrior stands up for the weak! They defend them! They are honorable! You're not one of the rogues, Stoneclaw! You're not! You will never be one of them. You are_ not_ a killer!"

Stoneclaw glared her. "I've done things that'd shock you!" he snarled. "I _have_ killed, Sunblaze. Who do you think killed Rosepetal and Petalfur?"

Sunblaze's heart dropped. "You didn't…"

"I did," he replied harshly. "I _am_ one of them!"

She stared at her brother sadly for a moment, and then looked away. "Then you are not the cat I thought you were, _Stone._ You don't deserve a warrior name!"

Stoneclaw growled and lunged for her suddenly. Sunblaze could see the coldness in his eyes and knew that he would kill her. She did the same move she'd done on Dewpaw that one day training—she dove underneath him and ran her unsheathed claws along his belly, slicing it open. Stoneclaw yowled in pain and collapsed on behind her.

Sunblaze turned around to see her brother's entrails spilling out of the gaping wound her in his stomach. A pool of blood was forming around him, flowing toward Sunblaze's paws. She looked away, her body trembling. _I must have ice in my veins to do what I have just done…_ she thought with horror.

Jayfeather stepped up beside her and rested his tail tip on her shoulder. "Don't despair, Sunblaze. Stoneclaw would have met the same fate eventually. You were defending yourself and me."

"I killed my brother," she breathed.

"You killed a murderer," Jayfeather corrected.

"No!" a tortured voice yowled from outside. Sunblaze bounded out of the den to see Lionblaze standing over the limp body of a gray she-cat. It took Sunblaze a moment to recognize her mother covered in blood.

"CINDERHEART!" Lionblaze caterwauled.

The whole camp was silent as Lionblaze mourned for his mate. Bramblestar stepped forward from the crowd. Sunblaze noticed at the was bleeding again from his ear. "Cinderheart will be greatly missed," he meowed solemnly.

Lionblaze suddenly whipped around and face him. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP YOU LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A LEADER!" he shouted, earning a few gasps from the crowd. "I WARNED YOU! I WARNED YOU THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN! I WARNED YOU, BUT YOU DIDN'T LISTEN! YOU DIDN'T LISTEN AND NOW MY MATE IS DEAD! _MY MATE IS DEAD!_" Lionblaze screamed.

Sunblaze padded forward to her mother. Blood matted her gray fur and a small stream trickled from her mouth. "No," she whispered, her voice on the edge a sob. "No… not Cinderheart and Stoneclaw in the same day," she whispered. "No… NO!" she sobbed and buried her nose in her mother's fur.

At that moment, Sunblaze vowed to get revenge. She vowed to avenge not just her mother, but Stoneclaw as well. _I'll fulfill the prophecy,_ she promised. _I'll die if I have to… I'll make it right again..._

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


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